Watch This!
by Emetelai
Summary: An Alternate European Tournament. TyHil. KaiOC. RayMariah. Lots and lots of fun.....
1. Sabotage!

My Observance for the Day: My name sounds multi-gender. For clarification, I'm a girl. *ahem* (cough) a TEENAGE pre-woman of 17.

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Authors Note/Story Synopsis: I've been with FanFiction.net for a while, but this is my first Beyblade fic, so please be kind: I've only watched a few episodes. I got sick of trying to look for a good Mariah/Ray story. If you haven't already noticed, I like the spelling of Ray better than Rei because I am an American. However, I want to make this story resemble the T.V. characters/setting as closely as possible. No cheerleading/gay/dumb high school kids (I should know: I am one!). Also included is a small plot and another love triangle between Kenny/Emily/Max. I favor one of these pairings. This story takes place in my imaginary European Tournament.

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the authors new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Believe you me though, this author did quite a bit of research before starting.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*SecretQuill*: There's so many freakin' Kai stories! And so many slashes between you and Kai! That's just wrong.

*Ray*: Yeah. Poor Me. Can we get on with this story already?

*Kai*: What's wrong with me?

*SecretQuill*: Actually, nothing. I don't mind the mysterious type-that's why I LOVE Seto Kaiba.

*Kai*: I'm not mysterious. 

*Ray*: Who's Seto Kaiba?

*SecretQuill*: Yu-Gi-Oh? Oh, never mind. Great talent/looks Kai, but awfully poor personality. You need to set your priorities straight!

*Kai*: I'll make a note of that…next summer.

*SecretQuill*: (~sigh~) Poor devilishly handsome Ray!

*Ray*: STORY BREAK! STORY BREAK!

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 1: Sabotage

"What a doozy!" Max rubbed his head as he stepped off the local city bus.

"Crazy European drivers," Tyson stumbled off, grabbing the side railing for support.

"Tyson, that bus needs to leave," Kenny rubbed moisture off his glasses.

"Yeah, well good riddance. We're walking next time."

"No, you don't understand," Kenny shook his head, "You need to move your hand."

"Ooops!" Tyson straightened and waved merrily at the driver, who happened to be cussing as them in French.

"Quit fooling around," Kai snapped from the sidewalk, calmly folding two arms across his chest, "We're never going to enter this tournament if you keep dawdling."

"Huh? Dawdling?" Tyson looked confused.

"It's procrastinat-oh forget it." Ray finished quickly.

"So…." Max spun around, "Where is this thing?"

"Over there." Ray pointed to an immensely large park across the street where several people were already gathered.

"Are you sure?" Kenny squinted, "I don't see any arenas or other bey-"

"Hey look! There's Emily and mom! It's the All-Stars!" Max jumped excitedly pointing to a few familiar faces in the crowd.

"C'mon Kenny! See? There's the booth to sign up-the big one right in the middle." Tyson began to cross.

Everyone followed, except for Kai.

Ray turned,

"Aren't you coming Kai?"

"Get out here slowpoke!" Tyson called, "We're gonna miss the action!"

Kai shook his head,

"This isn't Bladebreaker material. We can do better than this."

"Where?" Max asked. "I don't know about any other tournaments."

"On the contrary, Kai, the BBA has invested more time and money into this event than the Russian tournament," Dizzi, Kenny's digital computer bit-beast replied.

"Yes! What she said. Now come on already!" Tyson whined.

Kai scowled, but walked reluctantly toward the competition grounds.

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"Where'd Dr. Judy go?" Eddy asked.

"A hotel. I'd rather not sleep on wet grass. And Michael's checking out competition."

"I can help the next person over here!"

"Great!" Emily dragged Eddy over to the English gentleman.

"Why would--"

"Shhh!" Emily turned her full attention to the registrar, "I'd like to sign up the All-Stars please."

"Emily! This grass isn't wet!"

"It's supposed to rain tonight."

"I don't think we're staying here anyway-there aren't any arenas."

"That's why Judy went to look for a hotel to stay in."

"Excuse me, Madam, could you tell me the name of your team one more time?" The registrar asked hesitantly.

"The All-Stars. Is there a problem?"

"I think-"

"Excuse me," Mariah Mynx from the White Tigers appeared out of nowhere and pushed Emily aside rudely, "The White Tigers need to be signed up."

"We were here first! You'll have to wait your turn!" Emily snapped.

"Well, you're done now. So, logically, it's my turn," Mariah smirked.

"We haven't gotten anything yet, you twit!" Emily clenched and unclenched her fists in anger.

"Ma'am?" The English gentleman was talking to Emily. 

She momentarily forgot the little pink brat and turned around,

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid there's no record for the "All-Stars". You'll have to sign up over there."

He pointed to the 'Beginners' table. Mariah laughed. Emily gasped and grabbed the registrar's arm,

"But…there has to be a mistake-we're not some _ordinary_ team-we've competed in the best tournaments!"

"I'm terribly sorry miss. I do know all about the All-Stars. I'm afraid, though, until we can recover and confirm your previous records, this is the best I have to offer."

Mariah stuck out her tongue and turned Emily around forcefully toward the Beginner's table,

"Confused? That's _your_ destination."

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"Can this line GO ANY SLOWER!?" Tyson jumped up, struggling to see over the crowed.

"Tyson, quit yelling!" Kenny pleaded. "We're almost there."

"Give me your eyes, Chief!" Tyson picked Kenny up and placed him on his shoulders.

Kenny turned blue quickly and rolled around uncertainly,

"Tyson, I'm terribly afraid of heights."

Tyson ignored his comment and yelled very loudly,

"WHAT DO YOU SEE CHIEF?"

Kenny looked around carefully, then yelled back,

"PEOPLE!"

Tyson plopped Kenny back on the ground and stood with his arms apart, smiling,

"Great."

After a few minutes, he proceeded to jump up and down again. 

"Look! It's the White Tigers, and there's the Majestics and hey look! Even the Demolition Boys have joined the crowd!"

"Over there guys!" Max narrowed his eyes, "What are the All-Stars doing at the Beginners table?"

"And there's the Bladehunters and-huh?" Tyson's foot slid on a rock and he landed on his back.

Kai turned, "Beginners table?"

"What are they doing over there?" Ray wondered.

"Let's go check it out," Tyson suggested.

"But we'll lose our place in line…and you know how long it's taken to get here!" Kenny whined.

"Okay," Ray turned, "You stay in line and we'll go check it out. Coming Kai?"

Kai grunted and proceeded to face forward.

"Okay then," Ray grinned, "See you later!"

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"Each city marked here are competition round offs. Teams will compete through either East Europe or West Europe until they reach the final competition in Egypt. Skilled teams start three days earlier, providing a better chance of making the finals. The losers of that round will then face off beginning teams, creating yet another opportunity to stay in the game. All expenses for travel will be provided by the BBA. If you do not reach a round off in the required time, you will be disqualified. Here are your maps, tickets and your orange pass, which will allow you to take the three-day start. Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Mariah smiled happily. _No stupid All-Star twerp for three whole days! I'm in heaven!_ _No thanks to Kevin that is._

Mariah began to walk around and found Kenny and Kai from the Bladebreakers a little further down the line.

__

Where's the rest of their team?

"Mariah! Have you signed up yet?" 

"Huh?" Mariah turned to see Lee and Kevin coming toward her.

"Where's Gary?" she asked.

"Have you signed up?" Lee repeated.

__

Of course he has to be straightforward.

"Yes, I have. Now where's Gary?"

"Where do you think?" Kevin grinned, pointing to the food stalls, "Eating."

"Look, here's the info," Mariah shoved all the papers into Lee's hands, "Maps, tickets and this orange thingy."

"What's this for?" Lee frowned.

"A pass. As a 'skilled' team, we get a three day start."

"Hey! Lee, Mariah, Kevin! Over here!" Kenny waved from the line. 

"What in the world…" Kevin began curiously.

"Yeah?" Lee walked forward, "You called?"

"Have you signed up already?" Kenny asked.

"Right here," Lee held up the papers.

"How long is the rest of this line?" Kenny asked.

"You should be there soon," said Mariah.

"Where're the rest of your teammates?" Lee looked around.

"Over there," Kai gestured toward the Beginners table, "The All-Stars are signing up."

"Why are the All-Stars signing up at the Beginners table?" Kevin pondered aloud.

"That's what we wondered. And that's where you'll find Tyson, Max and Ray."

"Lets go take a look," said Lee.

__

No, no, no, no, no. If they find out it was me……Lee's not gonna like this.

"Oh! We don't have to do that! We'll just ask the Bladebreakers later," Mariah grinned cheekily, hoping her innocent act would work.

"Don't be stupid, Mariah. C'mon," Lee grabbed her arm.

__

NOOOOOO! My life is rotting away as I know it!

"I really think this'll be a waste of time," Mariah suggested again.

"Compared to what?" Kevin asked grumpily.

Michael had joined them by now. Emily, red faced and holding a bunch of blue papers, was explaining their situation.

"What's going on?" Lee stepped forward into the conversation, "You shouldn't be over here."

Mariah decided it was best if she said nothing.

"Our records are gone from the database somehow," Eddy explained, "We have to start as beginners until it's recovered."

"Wonder how that happened?" Kevin asked, half-sarcastically and half-annoyed. 

__

Don't you dare say anything, Kevin. I'll rip your green hair out.

"Come to gloat again?" Emily snapped at Mariah.

__

Time to act dumb.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mariah turned away.

Kevin stood nervously next to her, wringing his hands. 

__

He wouldn't dare tell. Would he?

Just to make sure, she stomped quickly on his foot. His eyes went wide with pain. She glared at him from the corner of her eyes. He looked down ashamedly at the ground.

Max was saying,

"Who would do such a thing?"

"Someone who hated us very much," Emily glared at Mariah with contempt.

Mariah faked surprise.

"No beyblader here has access to your records though. How could they erase everything?" Tyson asked.

Ray had been silent for quite a while. He took a quick breath as if thinking to himself and then said quietly,

"Maybe……maybe…No, it's stupid."

"What?" Emily turned, "What's stupid?"

"Nothing, really," Ray shrugged, "Just an idea."

__

No! Mariah thought nervously, _He couldn't figure it out, could he?_

"Well, stupid or not, I want to hear," Emily seemed almost anxious.

"Well, someone really smart could probably figure out the password and file programming to hack into the system through a computer. The sabotage required could cost a team the entire tournament," Ray figured, "It's possible they didn't delete everything out of the main system, so maybe the BBA could still figure out how to recover everything."

Kevin began shaking quietly again. Mariah stared. _I'm doomed. That's exactly what Kevin did._ Everyone else gaped.

"How do you know all that?" Michael asked.

"Well," Ray smiled a bit, "When you're around Kenny so often…"

Max laughed.

"But he couldn't have told you all that," Michael began suspiciously, "And you _are_ competition…"

Ray stopped smiling,

"Do you think I actually did it?"

"It's not entirely impossible," Michael snapped.

"Well, I didn't." Ray snapped back.

"Kenny _is_ smart…" Emily began putting two and two together in her bright honey head of hair, "We really can't rule out the possibility that any of you did it."

"We've been scanning the grounds," Lee justified, "We can't have done it."

"We don't know that." Michael replied.

"And _Mariah_ was with Eddy and I when we registered…" Emily said bitterly.

"You were?" Lee asked, surprised. 

"We had to get registered too, you know," Mariah snapped.

"Look, no ones going to confess even if they might have done it. I think it was just an honest mistake," Tyson offered.

Kevin began swaying nervously.

Max had been watching Kevin's quick movements for a long time,

"Kevin, are you all right?"

Mariah turned quickly.

__

NO! He WOULDN'T sell her short……

Kevin stopped swaying and stood nervously.

"Kevin?" Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What's wrong with you?"

"I did it!" Kevin suddenly blurted out.

Lee spun around, shocked. Everyone gasped. Mariah stood nervously now.

Kevin continued, quickly,

"I did exactly what Ray said I did. I hacked into the system through a computer and erased the files, but I didn't want to do it, honestly, I didn't. _Mariah_ forced me to. It's all her fault!"

"KEVIN!" Mariah screamed suddenly, "You little snitch!"

"I KNEW it!" Emily pointed accusingly at Mariah triumphantly.

Mariah suddenly slapped Emily. Lee grabbed her hand and pulled her back forcefully. Michael helped Emily up while Mariah hissed bitterly,

"I don't regret it either. You don't deserve to be in this competition."

"Mariah! That's enough!" Lee managed angrily, "We might get disqualified now because of you two!"

Kevin looked down, a bit ashamed. Mariah turned a tinge of pink and stared at the ground. _All she'd wanted was to get ahead of the All-Stars and everything and everyone was now blowing up in her face._

Lee pushed her forward, ready to leave,

"Let's go find Gary."

The All-Stars weren't done complaining though. 

Michael grabbed Lee,

"Hold it tiger breath. We still need our records. What are you gonna do about that?"

Lee grabbed Michael's hand off his shoulder and forced it back at his opponents side,

"You'll get your files, I promise. Leave me to my own team and I'll leave you to yours. This is no longer your argument."

"Lee…" Ray began.

"Stay out of this Ray."

Lee walked away quickly.

"Well," Max tried to look happy, "Look at the bright side: Now you don't have to start as beginners."

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Final Note: What do you think? The bladers might seem just a bit out of character in this one, but that's just because there's a lot of tension and rivalries. I don't think Mariah and Emily are out of character-they hate each other with a passion. But if you have any useful advice, I'm all ears. BTW, the whole "WHAT DO YOU SEE?" "PEOPLE!" part is based on a real life event. Poor little 3 foot 15-year-old boy! Review me people!


	2. A New Enemy

WOW! Let me say it again:WOW!

Five reviews for one chapter in only one week: that's a record for me! I feel (sniff, sniff) so (sniff) LOVED….

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Rabid Kai Fan: Isn't Kaiba just huggably adorable? I like that beginning too.

Galux Kitty: I just meant overall there's not that many Ray/Mariah stories, or I just can't seem to find them-sorry for the confusion. Also, hehe-I uploaded one of the pictures on your website to my background! The one where Ray and Mariah are hugging each other and Ray is leaning on the crutch-I still haven't seen that episode! Dang.

Starwave: Thank you so much! 

Lethal Darkness: Thanks! I wanted it to sound official. Yeah, I know character personalities right now pretty much suck, but I'll get it right some time-I promise. 

Ice Archer Girl: For your personal satisfaction, there will be a little ditto between Johnny and Frankie, from Spintencity (sp?) later in this story. Thank you for the suggestion!

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My Observance for the Day: We know where Ray and Kai grew up. So where the heck did everyone else grow up? Japan? For the sake of Russian/Chinese/Japanese/unknown origins, I'm just going to make everyone speak English. Bonus spotlight if you can spot the ironic statement concerning this in the story below!

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*NEW* **My Naïve Corner**: Where are Rays parents? Is there any proof or mention of them? If you know the answer to my naïve question, please tell me!

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Authors Note: Sorry for the delay-I was out of town for the past couple of weeks. It's not real exciting at the moment-just boring introductions and the like. Also, a few more love tangles are to be expected before the actual couples get together-be patient! 

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Up until now, I did not like OC's in Beyblade fics. However, I need them to make this plot work. So tough. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ???, five future OC's, belong to me (duh!). Um, I do know Trish's last name-I don't want you to know yet.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*SecretQuill*: Do you love me Ray?

*Ray*: New topic please!

*Max*: Anyone seen Tyson?

*SecretQuill*: I ate him.

*Max*: Uh….Seriously?

*SecretQuill*: No, I threw him up. He doesn't taste very good.

*Max*: I'm thinking weird….and very disturbed.

*SecretQuill*: Watch it! I can be VERY serious when I want to.

*Ray*: Now would be a great time.

*SecretQuill*: I'll tell you where he is, Ray.

*Ray*: Only me?

*SecretQuill*: No, Bubba too. Of course only you. This way…this way…

*Ray*: If I'm not back in ten minutes, Max, call for help, kay?

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 2: New Enemy

"Attention all Beybladers! If you have not registered at any registration booth, please proceed to one now. Again, all competing teams should be signed up at this point," a loud voice echoed throughout the park.

Lee couldn't find it in him to yell at Mariah and Kevin. He was too angry and ashamed to believe his teammates had tried to mess with BBA records. It was still very possible they might not be able to compete in the upcoming European Tournament.

"And all of the blame will be on my head because I'm the captain…" Lee muttered resentfully as they approached the registration desk, which was now completely open as everyone had already registered.

The Italian woman looked mildly surprised at their arrival and asked, in slaughtered English,

"May need you help---er, registration?"

"No, we're here to report some missing records," Lee pronounced each word slowly and articulately. 

"Ah," her face showed understanding as she held up her index finger, "Un minute…"

She walked around the booth and disappeared into the crowd.

"I'm sorry," Mariah whispered quietly at his side, "I was just trying to help."

"Well, it's too late to do anything else about it," Lee replied indifferently.

"We better hope the All Stars don't ask for our disqualification," Kevin added sheepishly.

"Yes, we better."

The Italian woman returned at that point, accompanied by an older looking Japanese man who spoke perfect English,

"I've been told you have information on missing BBA records. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, sir."

"Call me Mr. Hitoshi. And you are…?"

"The White Tigers, sir. Some members of my team have managed to erase file records for the All Stars."

Mr. Hitoshi must have been expecting Lee to say something more important about missing BBA files because his face suddenly fell in slight disappointment.

"Oh, yes. We were informed of those missing files earlier. They are currently being restored as we speak."

Lee tried not to look enthusiastic, 

"Great. That's great!" 

"I'm afraid under normal circumstances, you would have been disqualified," Mr. Hitoshi continued as if uninterrupted while Lees face tightened, "However, no serious damage has been assessed, so we will allow your entry, but you will have to stay behind with the All Stars as Beginners."

"But that's not--" Mariah jumped forward.

"That's fine," Lee declared stubbornly.

Mariah moaned bitterly as Mr. Hitoshi nodded,

"You can retrieve information about your first match at the Beginners booth."

"Thank you," Lee nodded.

Good luck!" 

Mr. Hitoshi walked back into the crowd. The Italian woman who had been staring avidly at them, now pretended to be cleaning her nails.

"I can't believe we have to start as beginners," Kevin griped aloud as they made their way back to the Beginners booth.

Lee took a couple of packets from a Spanish woman, who finally understood that they were trying to say, 'White Tigers'.

"Thanks."

"De Nada. Hasta Luego!" She grinned.

Lee glanced around,

"C'mon, we've got to go tell the All Stars."

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"Chicken? No? Okay, how about some Turkey? Hotdogs? Hamburger?!"

Again, the only lady available at the food stand shook her head.

Tyson moaned,

"Do you have _anything_ that's edible?"

"Woui. Croissants a et sandwiches a et Baguettes a et Fries-"

"Is there anything here not French?" Tyson asked again.

"Non. Non, vous alloz au café."

"Huh?" 

Max suddenly stepped forward,

"Merci."

"D'accord. Au Revoir."

"Au Revoir." Max waved, "C'mon guys."

He began to walk rapidly and confidently away from the stand.

"Wait-what'd she say?" Tyson stammered.

"I didn't know you could speak French," Ray began to walk in step with Max.

"Yeah-mom taught me."

"Where are we going Max?" Kenny asked, "I'm really hungry."

"Same here." Tyson's stomach growled audibly.

"The café. We should be able to get some burgers or dogs there."

Kai stopped a short distance behind them,

"I'm not that hungry. I think I'll go check in."

"You sure?" Ray asked.

"I'm fine. Go ahead."

"All right. We'll catch you later!" Max waved.

Kai headed in the opposite direction, toward the _Hotel del fleur_. Mr. Dickinson had booked the hotel in advance. Kai felt sick, but the reason he left wasn't because he didn't have an appetite. On the contrary, he was starving. It was the fact that he could still feel a pair of eyes following the back of his head all the way to the hotel entrance.

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"Time to show off your skills, Colby," Danika edged on, flicking her dark red hair behind her shoulders.

The brunette nodded confidently and waited patiently, tightening her grip on her beyblade.

"C'mon! Any takers?" The boy yelled once more, "You all su-"

"I'll do it!" She stepped forward, toward the middle of the square. He surveyed her closely,

"Who are you?"

"Colby Peterson. You can drop that attitude of yours, cause you won't be needing it any longer."

"I'm Michael and I'm a member of the All Stars. You know, the runner-up in the American Tournament. And _your_ background is….?"

She gestured lightly behind her,

"The Eiffel Tower. Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Lose the sarcasm, sweetie. Let's get this over with."

He held up his mitt, glove-covered beyblade and all. She followed suit. Someone from the gathering crowd shouted,

"3…2…1…GO!"

She yanked her rip-chord hard into the air, letting lose her beyblade. She decided she was going to play defense for a while and see what he was capable of doing. He launched a fast ball attack on her blade quickly. Colby wasn't surprised-he probably thought she wasn't good. It worked out perfectly to her advantage.

"I'll show you what I can really do!" she shouted.

The battle wasn't official-they were only playing on a flat black street, but sometimes, those conditions proved to be the most difficult blading grounds with nowhere to go but forward. 

His blade went immediately toward hers, front piece down just a bit. She knew he was going to try blocking her from going anywhere by causing friction between his blade and hers, just like two magnets being pushed together. She decided to apply this object and stay in defensive mode until he wore himself out and pushed away. When he decided to pull apart, she would be ready to attack.

And he did exactly that. She began to laugh quietly, triumphantly, as he pressed harder and harder into her blade, until he finally shouted,

"What's so funny?!"

"Whoever said you were good?" She challenged.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm winning!"

"Just watch…"

"Colby," she heard Kira ask quietly, "What do you think you're doing?"

Colby didn't respond. She waited patiently, her blade still spinning just as furiously, when Michael finally pulled his beyblade away from hers. That was her queue.

She came up furiously against his blade, but he veered to the side and she missed him by a couple of inches.

She swore loudly and hung back a couple of inches till she was behind him again. He laughed quietly,

"Oh, come on. I'm not that easy."

"We'll see…"

She plunged in again, but instead of seeing him swerve or pull away, she saw him launch against her with just as much force.

"Trygle, attack now!" He called.

__

No! He had a bit-beast! The blades collided violently, but it was quite clear Michael had won when her blade flew to the pavement in front of her, finally coming to an abrupt stop.

Cheers emitted from the crowd. Michael looked quite pleased,

"Maybe next time."

"Yeah…" Colby's knuckles clenched as she picked up her beyblade, and turned to face her teammates. Danika shook her head,

"You did pretty good."

"I could have done better."

"And I'm sure you will." Danika sneered.

Colby grinned.

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"Emily, did you pick all that up?" Dr. Judy asked quietly as soon as Michael had beaten Colby. Emily was typing furious battle statistics into her computer.

"Yes. Who _is_ that?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I have a feeling we better keep an eye on them."

"She's certainly got an attitude."

"Just like every other beyblader. Now, where did Steve go?"

Emily looked up briefly,

"He's probably perusing shops. We _do_ have three more days before we have to worry about battling."

"We should be gathering as much information as possible during that time, though. We have a lot of work ahead of us," Dr. Judy watched thoughtfully as a new boy stepped forward to challenge Michael as well.

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"And Tai-Ken will probably--" Mr. Dickinson broke off from his phone conversation upon Kai's arrival in the room.

"I'll call you back later, Llewellyn."

"Hey," Kai said gruffly as he fell down in the sofa chair.

"Hi Kai. You're back early," Mr. Dickinson stood back to look at him, "Where're the rest of your teammates?"

"Eating."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Not really."

"You really should get some meat in your stomach. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"I don't feel like it."

"Cheer up a bit, boy. You sound like you've bitten a porcupine."

"I'm not really in the mood to talk, Mr. Dickinson. If you don't mind."

"Course not. I'm feeling a little hungry myself," he gripped the hotel knob but turned around once more to face Kai, "You sure you don't want to come?"

Kai shook his head,

"Go ahead. I'm a little tired."

As soon as Mr. Dickinson disappeared, Kai began to study the beyblade he held in his hands. He felt even more of an attachment to his bit-beast Dranzer because of his short parting with it to pursue a relationship with Black Dranzer, a bit-beast he had practiced with as a boy. 

He heard the knocking then, but assumed it was just an odd creak in the walls or the headboard of the hotel beds. As he was adjusting his rip-chord, he heard it with much more clarity. Reluctantly, he strolled across the room and opened the hotel door, expecting to see Mr. Dickinson once again. To his surprise, it was a girl he'd never met before. She had long orange hair and dark brown eyes.

"Are you Kai?"

"Depends on who's asking."

"Well, I'm looking for him. Is he here?"

Kai opened the door for her to see the room,

"Does it look like there's anybody else here?"

"Oh, well, can you tell him I wanted to talk to him? My name is Trish, kay?"

"Where should I tell him to find you?"

"Oh, he'll see me around more often."

"Really? Are you in this competition?"

"Just tell him, all right? I've got to go." She glanced around, before turning to leave.

"Bye to you too!" Kai called sarcastically.

She waved a long arm in the air as she raced down the hallway.

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"Hang in there Mobekai!" Colby yelled desperately at their only boy companion.

Mobekai's blade was taking a fierce beating from Michael, who was still challenging street beginners. Mobekai tried to pull away every so often, but Michael trailed him, before making fierce contact with his blade again.

"ENOUGH!" Mobekai shouted angrily, "WHITE FALCON ATTACK!"

A magnificently large white falcon with sharp claws appeared in full glory above Mobekai's beyblade. 

"TRYGLE! FAST BALL ATTACK!" Michael reacted quickly.

"TALON CLAW STRIKE!" Mobekai shouted.

Trygle sped forward threateningly, but Mobekai's blade hit the sidewalk curb and flew over Michael's beyblade. No longer cornered, Mobekai flew hard at Michael's beyblade, now cornered against the sidewalk. The force pushed Michael's blade against the sidewalk, instantly slowing and stopping it.

The crowd stared in amazement. Danika grinned behind Mobekai,

"Way to go Mo!"

Michael gaped,

"That's….impossible. How did you do that?"

Mobekai picked up his bit-beast and walked back to where his companions were now cheering excitedly for him. 

Behind Michael, Emily gaped openly at Mobekai, laptop forgotten. Dr. Judy frowned curiously.

"Any other takers?" Mobekai smirked at the surrounding crowd.

"Yes. I'll do it!" a female voice shouted from the crowd.

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Final Note: I bet you don't have any idea how many freaking times I've had to write and rewrite this part of this story-it was quite hard to put together. At least I hope it was worth your time. Did you like my cliffhanger? It's actually a no brainer, but at least its something. Please read/review for me!


	3. Unusual Defeat

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

hikari-chan: Is Mobekai beating Michael believable? I hope so. Thanks a bunch for reviewing the day I posted! And more hints of romantic flirting will appear in the next chapter, but like I said, r/m isn't going to form for a while-Like someone on FF said, "Real love takes time, not alcohol."

Fire Fox: Wow! I can't believe _you_ reviewed _me!_ I LOVE your story "The Other Side of the Mirror". A truly good r/m fic! Okay, so Mariah did coin the phrase, "There's nothing I hate more than a snitch." But do you really think Mariah is the type to plot revenge against a teammate? 

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My Observance for the Day: Has anyone noticed that every team bit-beast has a similar synonym? For instance, all the White Tiger bb(bit-beasts) are **Gal**eon, **Gal**ux, **Gal**man,and **Gal**zzy. The Bladebreakers are **Dr**iger, **Dr**agoon, **Dr**aciel, and **Dr**anzer. The Majestics are Griffo**lyon**, Unico**lyon**, Salamu**lyon**, and Amphy**lyon**. And the All-Stars are **Try**gle, **Try**horn, **Try**pio, and **Try**gator. Quite Interesting.

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My Naïve Corner: I know Ray and Mariah's last names. Can you give me a few others? Especially the Demolition Boys? Even if it's the Japanese last name, anything'll do!

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Authors Note: You'll find out what team Kira, Mobekai, Danika, Colby and Trish belong to in this one-are they good characters and bit-beasts? Enjoy reading!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me.

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BTW, this story takes place two years after the World Championship Battle in Russia-Guess I forgot to tell you.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*Max*: How terrible was it, Ray?

*SecretQuill*: Hey!

*Ray*: Actually, it wasn't worth the trip outside. Tyson's down at the local Beyblade shop.

*Kenny*: There's a local Beyblade shop?

*Max*: When did you enter this conversation? When did you get here actually?

*Kenny*: This guy here dropped me off.

*Ray*: What guy!?

*SecretQuill*: (~gasp~) KAIBA!

*Seto Kaiba*: Ummmm….where's Mokuba?

*SecretQuill*: (singing) Not here! I told you that so you'd come! And here you are! YAY!

*Seto Kaiba*: Is Yugi Muto here? 

*Max*: (looks around) Uhhh….I don't think so.

*Seto Kaiba*: Is anyone here gonna duel me?

*SecretQuill*: I…don't have my cards. But I can battle you with my Beyblade!

*Seto Kaiba*: What the heck is that?

*Kenny*: (gaping) It's only the most complex and wonderful sport there is. You see, you have two blades, kind of like spinning-

*Seto Kaiba*: (confused) Bye Then. (Leaves)

*SecretQuill*: NOOOO! NOOO! Don't LEAVE! COME BACK! COME BACK!

*Max*: Wow. Guess she's over you, Ray.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 3: Unusual Defeat

"BRRAAWWWPPP!"

"Tyson!" Kenny looked shocked, "We're in public!"

Ray and Max laughed.

"Nothing better than battling on a full stomach, chief," Tyson grinned.

"But still…" Kenny protested. They continued to make their way down the pavements of France.

"Let's go do a bit of sightseeing," Tyson suggested, "How about the Champs Elysees? Nah, I don't need to do shopping. How about Notre Dame? The Eiffel Tower? Or even the Louvre? A castle or two doesn't sound too bad either…"

"I wonder what's going on…" Ray saw the gathering crowd in the street ahead and began to walk curiously toward it.

"It's a battle!" Max jumped forward excitedly, "Let's go see!"

"I really think we should be heading back to the hotel!" Kenny protested firmly.

"C'mon, chief. Where's your sense of adventure?" Dizzi piped up.

"I suppose…"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Tyson shouted.

Upon their arrival, they could see two people already in battle against each other. The crowd was much larger than they had anticipated, so it was very difficult to see much.

"What's gong on?" Max strained his neck in vain.

"It's a battle between Mariah and Mobekai," someone to their left explained.

"Emily!" Kenny turned, "What are you doing here?"

"Collecting data, of course," came another deeper female voice.

"Mom!" Max grinned.

"Mobekai?" Ray asked again, in an attempt to bring up the original conversation.

"Yes-the new team from India," Emily explained, "Mobekai must be the captain. He just beat Michael with his bit-beast. I'm guessing they have quite a lot of control over their blades."

"It was a faulty mistake," Michael bitterly justified behind them, "And it's not like _she_ is going to do any better either."

Ray turned and concluded,

"Mariah's doomed."

"Yes, we thought so too," Emily confirmed, "But it was her challenge in the first place."

Kenny frowned,

"If only we could _see what's going on_…"

"They just started; you aren't missing much," Judy informed them, "I'm sure you could push your way forward, somehow…"

"No problem," Tyson squeezed between two adults, "Excuse me, excuse me, Beyblade World Champion coming through..."

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"Give it up, Mariah!" Mobekai called threateningly.

Mariah bared her teeth and continued to run away from his blade. She'd seen it before: the all-too familiar trap and pounce deal. Well, he wasn't going to trap _her._ She was going to give him the ride of his life.

After a few more long, but highly tense moments, both blades began to wear down visibly.

__

I should loop behind him and attack with my bit-beast; he won't be expecting that.

But then she remembered that Colby had already used that tactic against Michael and it had failed. What else could she do?

His blade quickly shut much distance between them and began to bear down terribly on her blade. She switched her beyblade to defense and pulled away quick again.

"Quit avoiding me!"

Mariah was pleased to hear frustration in his voice. 

__

That's it! _Wear out his beyblade!_

She knew that Colby had also used this against Michael, but both of their blades were already well worn out.

It seemed to work for a while; he continued to chase her. Then, all of sudden, he pulled his blade back, as if waiting.

She didn't understand: what was he doing?

"Galux, attack!" she shouted fiercely, "Scratch attack NOW!"

She could not have timed it better. Unlike Colby, he did not react as quickly when her lynx bit-beast appeared.

His blade flew into the air and hit the pavement, but did not stop spinning.

"What?!" Mariah gaped, "Galux, attack again!"

But Mobekai was ready to command as well.

"White Falcon! Talon claw strike!" 

The two bit-beasts collided, neither gaining the edge.

"You can do this Mariah!" a voice called from behind her, "You've just got to believe you can!"

Lee? No, she could see Lee out of the corner of her right eye, watching quietly.

It sounded a lot more like Ray, but what would Ray be doing here?

Determination rising within her, she shouted once more,

"Give it all you've got Galux!"

The blades and bit-beasts collided once again, but this time they began to slow until they could move no further. Mariah watched the teetering blades impatiently.

__

C'mon Galux! Hang in there a little longer for me!

Slowly, the beyblades came to a complete stop.

First Mobekai's and not a second later, Mariah's.

Mariah beamed like there was no tomorrow. She'd done it!

There was no way she could have beaten him! She didn't even come close to the power he had. It was the first time she'd made moves like that. It was more than she could ever hope for: to see what she was really capable of!

Mobekai must've been really good too, seeing as he beat the captain of the All-Stars, the most technically advanced team ever. And she'd beaten him! _She_, Mariah, of the White Tigers!

Mobekai should've been extremely disappointed with himself.

So why was he grinning in satisfaction at her?

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"All right then. We're in Group B-that's eastern Europe. Our first preliminary round is in Aix-en-Provence against the Bladehunters. Easy, but again, not beginners," Kai told the rest of his team once they'd arrived back at the hotel.

"I can't believe we're doing this again-like old times," Max grinned.

Tyson beamed. "Why shouldn't we? We're more than teammate, guys. We're great friends!"

"Hey guys!" Kenny called from his laptop, where he had been working to analyze the Bladehunters' strategies, "Any of you heard of "The Wild Cheetahs?"

"That must be the Indian team we saw today," Ray concluded.

"Yes, but look! They've registered as beginners and we've all seen how good they are."

"Maybe it's just because they didn't know how good everyone else was gonna be," Tyson shrugged.

"I don't think so. Besides, there are no records for previous matches or even stats for their teammates. Heck, their names aren't even available! Guys, it's like this team just appeared out of nowhere!"

"That's strange," Kai frowned, "There must be an explanation, though."

"Maybe they just don't want anybody else knowing what they're capable of," Max replied.

"That sounds more reasonable, but it still looks fishy," Kenny shut his computer down and looked up, "Well, I think as much as they've tried, the Bladehunters really haven't improved their skills, so we don't have much to worry about from tomorrow's match. But tomorrow afternoon we're playing the Tall Boys if we win…."

"Which we will," Tyson responded confidently.

"Yes, so be prepared," Kenny concluded.

"So, what's the line up, Chief?"

"I think Max should go first, then Kai, then Tyson."

"What?" Max sat up on the bed, "Why are you putting Tyson and Kai up against the Bladehunters?" 

Kai huffed, "I'm _not_ going to battle first-rate bladers Kenny."

"Look, the faster we beat these guys, the better, right? We have a title to protect. Besides, we've still got to worry about keeping our lead over the All-Stars and the White Tigers."

"We haven't got a lead over the White Tigers, though!" Tyson exclaimed.

"The White Tigers have been pushed back with the beginners because of Mariah and Kevin's stunt. And the Demolition Boys and Majestics are in Group B, so as long as we just take it easy for a while, we've got a guaranteed spot in the finals."

"Why not use Ray and Tyson, then?" Kai asked.

"We still can't let our guard down. We want to win these battles as fast as possible. And no one will be expecting Kai to challenge the Bladehunters, right?"

Tyson nodded slowly,

"Yeah, you've got a point there."

The hotel room door suddenly flung open and Mr. Dickinson entered with several bags in tow.

"Yes!" Tyson jumped forward excitedly, "Dinner!"

"Not yet, Tyson…" Mr. Dickinson shook his head.

"Huh?"

"Dinnertime in France is not till ten."

Kai, Max, Ray, and Kenny laughed.

"WHAT?!" Tyson moaned, "Oh, my stomach!"

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"C'mon Galeon!" Lee flung his beyblade launcher down in cold fury and stared angrily at the twinkling stars. _How was it possible?_ _Did he just get lazy?_

He was thinking, of course, about how Mariah had beaten Mobekai. Mariah just didn't have that strength. If she could beat him, so could he. However, there was no way that he would be able to beat Michael. At least, not if he didn't practice. And yet, Mobekai had managed to beat Michael and lose to Mariah.

His sister had never managed to stump him, but Lee was sure she'd done something to cheat. The skill measurements just didn't match up right. Not like he didn't think Mariah was good. She was after all, part of the White Tigers, and a win by her was a win by the whole team.

"You could possibly be more crazy than I am right now. It's freezing."

Lee turned to see someone approaching him against the night sky. She had dark brown hair and light blue eyes. It was the girl Michael had played: Colby Peterson. 

Lee decided to ignore her and picked up his launcher, preparing to strike against the side of the roof once more. 

"What's your name?"

He paused stubbornly,

"Lee Mynx."

"Are you practicing then? Can I watch?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't," he turned around, "You could use it against us."

She nodded, "Yeah, I probably will. So which team do you belong to?"

"The White Tigers."

Her eyes opened with interest,

"Really? I thought I'd recognize you."

At first it was her purely annoying attitude that drove him to ignore her as much as he could. But now she was just being plain rude. And she'd struck a very sensitive cord.

"I'm the captain," he snapped, "My sister beat your teammate earlier today."

"So that's who it was, then?"

He didn't reply, furiously ripping his blade and after watching it hit the roof wall a few times, called it back once more.

"I thought Ray Kon was the captain of the White Tigers," Colby spoke up very quietly. 

She sounded confused and upset, two qualities which normally would have pleased him in an opponent, but the question upset him even more than her earlier statement. His fists clenched,

"Look, Colby, or whoever you are, I didn't ask for you to come up here and to be blunt, you're starting to annoy me, so go get some rest or whatever it is you do before a tournament."

"I _practice_ just like you do and I'm quite good. I just want to know where I can find Ray."

His anger faded away briefly to shock. _Did she really not know about the World Tournament?_

"You mean you don't know…?" He asked.

"Yes, that's why I obviously asked you. I need to know where he is."

"Ray's a member of the World Champion Bladebreakers."

"And he's captain?" She asked excitedly.

__

Why is she so eager to find Ray? Lee briefly wondered. _And why does she want him to be the captain so bad?_

"No," he watched her face fall slightly, "Kai Hiwatari is."

"Are they in this tournament?"

"Of course they are," he snapped again, "Why do you want to know all this?"

"Oh…I'm a…fan," she blushed slightly.

He raised an eyebrow,

"And competition at the same time? I pity your team."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" She asked angrily.

"Nothing at all," he lied, ripping his blade against the wall again.

"Well, I'm getting quite cold, so if you don't mind, I'm going to leave."

She stuck her hands in her jacket and exited briskly, but before she reached the roof stairs, she turned around once more,

"Could you…tell me, does Ray…does he have his bit-beast Driger still?"

"_Yes, _he _does,_" Lee's anger was kindled once again.

"Lovely boy really, good manners and all…" she muttered sarcastically to herself, descending the stair well.

Too late, he realized that his quick anger had just made him spill a great deal of information. He watched her retreating back and then turned around, whispering furiously,

"Good riddance."

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Final Note: Next Chapter?! The day of the first Beyblade battle! Who's pumped up? Cause I certainly am! Again, any last names here would be fabulous-I really can't just say, "Hi, I'm Tyson." Actually I guess I could….but it wouldn't be fun. "Hello there, good chap. My name's Ray Kon and I'm a member of the happening Bladebreakers. Oh, and you are?"

Let's be a little more specific-I need to know the last names for the Demolition Boys and the All-Stars! There we go!

Bunches of love to you if you read my stupid AN's and if you reviewed my story as well!


	4. My Captain

Wow! Five reviews again! 

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Tenshi no Hikari: Yay! I'm glad you liked Mariah beating Mobekai! And no, don't worry, she didn't cheat (; You'll find out later why she was able to beat him. But I'm afraid I can't tell you much more about Colby yet! 

Miekkie: Thanks so much for reviewing!

Destiny's Angel: Yea! Thank you so much! You were the first one to give me last names! I went back and fixed Mynx-that sounds better anyway. I think you accidentally made a typing error-You said Tyson's was Kinomiya _and _Valkov. Do you know which one it is and which one the other one belongs to? Also, thanks so much for Max's last name-I REALLY needed that one. 

Galux Kitty: (laughs) I'm glad you get sugar-highs the days you review me! (; But don't worry-it's not Colby that has a crush on Ray. She wants to meet Ray for another reason-she just didn't want to tell Lee. Thanks for reviewing once again! 

Ice Archer Girl: Wow! You could possibly like Johnny more than I like Ray! (; Actually, that's not possible-it would have to equal the amount of love I feel for Ray. I can't believe you've been trying to review every chapter….and you like all of them too! Extra goodie points for you! And thank you SO much for all the Majestics last names'.

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My Observance for the Day: (For Americans-I think this season has already aired elsewhere. Correct me if I'm wrong!) Don't you think it sucks that the Beybladers look younger instead of older in that upcoming Vforce season? Older Ray! Older Ray! 

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My Naïve Corner: All I need right now are last names for any of the bladers (specifically Tala and the Dem. Boys) except for Lee, Mariah, Kai, Tyson, Max, and all the Majestics! 

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Authors Note: I'll spare you guys today as I have nothing to say and you probably want to read anyway. I'd rather write the story as well.

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*Max*: Is Tyson _still_ gone?

*Ray*: Does he really have to eat that much?

*SecretQuill*: Actually, I passed him this afternoon-you know, I was chasing Kaiba and…

*Kenny*: Yes, of course. Tyson?

*SecretQuill*: Oh yeah. Anyway, he's now down at the Champion Buffet, muttered something about stocking up before dinner.

*Ray*: (shocked) Without telling us?

*Max*: Yeah, what is for dinner anyway?

*SecretQuill*: I'm cooking. Anyone care to help me in the kitchen?

*Kai*: (walks in) Hey, what's burning?

*Max and Ray*: BUFFET! (dash out the door)

*SecretQuill*: I CAN too cook good-jerks! Well, looks like it's just gonna be me, Kai and Kenny in the ol' kitchen, huh?

*Kenny*: (sweating) Actually, my stomach is kind of growling right now and I have to talk to the team about some…er…strategies (runs quickly out the door)

*SecretQuill*: (very angrily) AND YOU TOO, KAI? Escaping later, then?

*Kai*: I like to eat alone. And I don't cook.

*SecretQuill*: Oh YES you DO! (grabs him by the shoulders and drags him to the kitchen door)

*Kai*: LET ME GO! HELP!? GUYS?? AHHHH…..!!

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 4: My Captain

"I love France." Tyson grinned, slapping some eggs onto his plate.

"Try the baguettes," Ray reached across the table, "They're fabulous."

"Don't get any bacon, though," Kenny warned, "I've seen at least two people throw them back up."

"Thanks for the warning," Tyson skipped past the bacon.

The continental breakfast at _The Hotel del fleur_ was very luxurious indeed. As a sponsoring member of the Beyblade Tournament, many fans and bladers were residing in the four star suite. Most of the members at the Continental Breakfast were fans of the few remaining beybladers. As soon as the Bladebreakers sat down at the table marked "Bladebreakers" (reserved by Mr. Dickinson in advance), at least two dozen kids surrounded them.

"You're _the_ Tyson? The Bladebreaker that beat Tala?"

"Can I see your Dragoon? Wow, I'm holding the blade that ripped through every other professional blade. C'mere, Simon, look!"

"Look, Ray! I got a yin-yang headband just like yours. I want to be just like you when I grow up!"

"I saw your old village in China and I knew that's where I wanted to live when I grew up-it's so beautiful!"

"Photographs of Draciel cover my wall. Can I have your autograph Max?"

"Is it hard having your mother coach an opposing team?"

"Why did you join the Bladebreakers, Kai?"

"Will you show me some cool moves, Kai? How do you make everything look so professional?"

"I heard your computer is your bit-beast, Kenny. Can I see?"

"I want you to teach me all you can about strategy, Kenny. You must come up with good plans if you got the Bladebreakers to win the World Tournament, huh?"

Tyson flicked his head back, closed his eyes in satisfaction and held up his hands,

"One at a time please. Yeah, sure, I'll autograph.."

"Tyson, I'd really rather eat in silence. Huh? Oh, yeah, I'll sign.." Kenny trailed off.

As soon as the last of them left, some newcomers immediately approached,

"So much for a quiet, conversation over breakfast." Ray laughed as a bunch of mini-looking Rays' approached the table excitedly.

"Wonderful!" Tyson immediately signed the next kid's replica of his gloves, "So this is where you have to come for the fans…"

Kenny rolled his eyes,

"I think Tyson _prefers_ all the signing…"

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"This food sucks," Kevin complained bitterly.

"Be quiet!" Mariah hissed, "At least it's better than dirt."

Kevin disgustingly picked up some deviled eggs.

"Not by much. It looks alive to me."

The White Tigers were staying at the nearby three-star _Polanco Suite_, a posh enough hotel to be another sponsor of the Beyblade Tournament and yet again, hosting just as many fans as beybladers. 

"Will you go out with me, Mariah? C'mon, you know you want me…"

"Where can I get pink dye like yours? And where'd you get the jacket?" Another girl her age asked.

"Guess I better get some deviled eggs if the White Tigers like them…"

"I love Galman, Kevin. Where'd you get a bit-beast like that?"

"Nah-Galeon's better."

"Say's who? Galux rocks-you saw the battle yesterday."

"Is your hair naturally green? My sister dyed her hair green like yours-I think she likes you."

"What gave you the hint?" Kevin asked sarcastically as he and Mariah tried to get through to the table where Gary and Lee were also being bombarded with fans.

"Honestly Kevin-be a little nicer…" Mariah gladly took some more copycat pink hair ribbons.

"Easy for you to say-you get all the good stuff," Kevin jealously eyed some brand new rip chords signed by hopeful young men.

Lee, sick of having to continuously refill his fan-spilt milk, finally yelled,

"Can I _eat_ _something_ first?"

Needless to say, several kids backed off immediately.

Mariah rolled her eyes and finished her last signature,

"I think you just lost half your fan base."

"Who cares? At least they'll leave me alone now."

"Ruddy…" Even Gary was a little frustrated.

Near the end of the meal, Mariah whole-heartedly agreed with Kevin. The food was _disgusting._

"You might as well learn to deal with the idolizing youth-you'll be spending the next three days with them," a familiar voice rang out quietly.

Lee looked up and stared icily at someone behind Mariah,

"Can we help you?"

Mariah turned around, but before she could see who it was, a bunch of roses filled her vision. They were very fresh-water dripped from the beautiful pink ribbon holding the bouquet together.

"They reminded me of you; they're very beautiful." Mobekai winked.

Mariah blushed furiously.

"Thank you, Mobekai."

"Speaking of idolizing youth," Lee's voice dripped with anger, "Where's your own fan base?"

"You must be the White Tigers, then," Mobekai ignored Lee's question, "Colby told us, of course. No thanks to you, Lee."

"Pleasure," Lee stabbed his already stale eggs. 

"No doubt I'll be seeing more of you guys later. By the way, take the back doors out-your fan group is waiting for you."

Mobekai nodded at Mariah,

"Have a nice day."

She only blushed once more.

"Yes, I'm sure we will," Kevin muttered sarcastically at his retreating back, "And what's wrong with you? You look like a beet."

Mariah snapped out of her reverie enough to hit him.

"Ouch!"

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Mr. Dickinson had left earlier that morning at eight for Aix-en-Provence to prepare for their arrival. They had to be in Aix-en-Provence by three that afternoon-the start of the first match. If they were late, they would be disqualified. The bladebreakers had let Mr. Dickinson take their belongings, so they waited impatiently at the bus stop that morning for the next bus to the train station.

"You _know_ I hate buses, chief," Tyson complained, remembering his past experience with a French bus, "Let's just walk-we need the exercise anyway."

"We need the rest, actually," Kenny corrected him, "We'll have plenty of opportunities to exercise when we get there."

Ray laughed,

"I never thought I'd see the day when Tyson would be begging to exercise."

"Ahhhh….." Tyson moaned bitterly, "C'mon, chief, please? The Ice Age'll hit before this bus arrives!"

"Better get your warm coats on, then." A voice called behind them.

"Oh, it's you." Max replied monotonously.

Colby raised an eyebrow,

"Have we met?"

"We just came to wish you good luck today, that's all," Kira smiled shyly.

Tyson stared,

"Uh-huh. Do you even know who we are?"

"You must be the World Champion Bladebreakers. You're the only team we _haven't _met," Danika replied.

Ray bowed,

"Ah….the welcoming committee."

"And _you_ are?" Mobekai raised an eyebrow at Ray's mocking antics.

"Ray. And this is Max, Kenny, Tyson, and…"

"Kai," Kai replied icily, "I'm the captain."

"_Really_?" A girl the others had never met before suddenly appeared behind Colby. She had long orange hair and dark brown eyes. Kai recognized her instantly as Trish.

"I never introduced myself thoroughly," she directed her statement at Kai, "I'm the captain of the Wild Cheetahs." 

"I thought Mobekai was captain…" Ray glanced from Mobekai to Trish and back to Mobekai.

Mobekai flushed slightly,

"I'm nowhere near as good as Trish."

"You lied to me! You said you weren't Kai!" Trish accused Kai instantly.

"I did no such thing," Kai smirked, "You merely assumed I wasn't who you were looking for."

Trish gaped, looking remarkably like a lost guppie. She couldn't seem to find a good enough retort.

"I expect we'll be seeing much more of your team, then?" Kai asked Trish.

"Why's that?" Kira asked.

"Unless you plan to sit on your backs for the next three days, most of the beginners will be watching and recording data from the sidelines," Kenny explained, "And not everyone will be beginners, as you must already know. If you expect to even come close to the final match, we'll be seeing you later today."

The Wild Cheetahs' seemed almost stumped that they had not realized this to begin with.

The roar of an engine made all their heads turn. The bus had arrived. Much to Tyson's disappointment, it happened to be the same bus driver who had cussed at Tyson in French the following afternoon.

"Well, it was a really nice chit-chat, but I'm afraid we must go," Max gave a fancy wave and then followed the rest of the bladebreakers onto the bus. 

"Good luck!" Colby yelled as the bus disappeared into the early morning traffic.

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It was ten-thirty when the bladebreakers arrived at the train station.

"How many bus drivers traffic back and forth from the train station?" Tyson wearily asked as he barely jumped out of reach from the angry bus driver's hands.

"Not that many. Five please." Kenny traded their francs for train tickets. 

"Hey look-there's the Majestics." Ray pointed across several barriers where the four European bladers were boarding a train heading for the opposite direction. Olliver and Johnny were the only ones that noticed them. They nodded quietly in approval before disappearing behind the steel door.

"We might see some more of them and even the Demolition Boys throughout this journey," Kai watched the train leave. 

"Aix-en-Provence Express #5-that'd be our ride, boys." Tyson hastily handed his ticket over to the attendant and settled into a plush sofa in their compartment, "Now _this_ is resting!"

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"_WELCOME_ to the first match of the Eastern European Preliminaries! The competing teams will be the Bladehunters vs. the returning World Champion Bladebreakers! Not to worry, though, because this round is _not_ an eliminating round-the loser will get another chance with the beginners. Stick around, cause this is gonna be one heck of show, ladies and gentlemen!"

A.J. Trough surely knew how to get the crowd riled up with excitement. A wave of applause exploded as the Bladebreakers stood up. Tyson waved merrily.

"Get over here, Tyson!" Mr. Dickinson had arrived, "I want you all to know how proud I am of you! I know you can do this. So go out there and win!"

"Yeah!" Max punched the air excitedly.

"Stay focused Max!" Kenny warned, "If the Bladehunters completely sucked, they wouldn't be battling us first."

"Oh, don't be so tight, Kenny. We'll win, I promise."

Max approached the center of the Beyblade stadium, where his opponent Lippy stood waiting patiently on the other side of the regularly shaped beyblade bowl.

Max waved,

"Hey! Long time, no see, huh?"

Lippy only avidly stared at him as A.J. spoke once again,

"Up first from the Bladehunters is Lippy. His homemade beyblade has improved since their last battle, but is it really enough against Max and his bit-beast Draciel? We'll surely find out in a minute!"

Max grabbed his launcher and nodded quietly at Lippy, who focused his attentions squarely on the beyblade now fixed at the end of his own rip chord.

"Ready? 3….2….1….LET IT RIP!"

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Final Note: BWAHHAHAHA! Sorry to leave you hanging, but it seemed the appropriate place to stop. I might have the announcer's name wrong-if I don't, guess no one'll say anything, huh? Thanks a bunch for all the people that reviewed and waited patiently for this chapter. 


	5. Hot Dogs and Perfume

Thanks very much to my favorite reviewers:

Starwave: J Thanks for reviewing again! I'm not very good with keeping readers in suspense w/ cliff-hangers, so I guess I did good this time, huh? 

Miekkie: J Thanks very much! Love your buddies (;

Destiny's Angel: Thanks for clarifying! AND THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for giving me TALA's last name-Even better!

Ice Archer Girl: * I'm really that good? Thank you so much! * And you're absolutely right about Tyson's English last name-I remember now!

Tenshi no Hikari: Yeah, I enjoyed writing about the fans. (; Thanks for reviewing!

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My Observance for the Day: BTW, I wasn't hungry when I wrote this chapter. I guess hot dogs just sort of appeal to me.

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My Naïve Corner: THANK YOU SO MUCH to my wonderful reviewers who gave me the last names for Tala, Lee, Mariah, Tyson, Kai, Max, and all the Majestics! I don't mind a few more last names, but I think I've got all the ones I absolutely need. Thank you again!

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Authors Note: My ending _was_ pretty abrupt but I can't guarantee I won't cliff-hang you again. Also, screw what I said earlier. Since I can't seem, for the like of me, to figure out these characters, they'll rarely be "in-character" throughout this story, though I'll try to get the personalities as close as possible. I guess it won't matter that much as long as you like it. I've never had any problem not doing all the stereotype teen girl and boy thing, but in this chapter I'd have to make an exception. At least it's believable. Oh well. To make up for my kinda delay, cliff-hanger, and stupid exceptional stereotypes, this chapter is a bit longer than my other chapters. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

Also-I've heard that famous artists such as Renauld and DaVinci visited Aix-en-Provence, but I have no proof that DaVinci actually has a home there or that their works are featured in local art museums.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*SecretQuill*: Do you like it?

*Tyson*: Actually, the spinach puffs aren't that bad.

*Kai*: _I _made those.

*SecretQuill*: I found the recipe! What do you think of the chicken, Ray?

*Ray*: Well, they're…really good.

*SecretQuill*: Would you eat them every night?

*Max*: (whispering to Kenny) I think she's over that Kaiba dude.

*Ray*: Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far…

*Mariah*: Hiya, everyone!

*SecretQuill*: When did you get here?

*Mariah*: Just now. Duh.

*Ray*: What's up, Mariah?

*Mariah*: All the other White Tigers want Chinese food. I hate Chinese food. I heard that SecretQuill was cooking, so I picked up some hot dogs. Anyone?

*Everyone except SecretQuill*: YES!

*SecretQuill*: I can't believe you, Tyson! You're about to eat a bunch of hot dogs in the contest!

*Tyson*: Screw the contest. My stomach wants real food.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 5: Hot Dogs and Perfume

"Ready? 3….2….1….LET IT RIP!"

The beyblades were ripped.

Max bore down hard on Lippy, who had cowardly switched to defensive mode, running away from Max's beyblade.

"How much has Lippy's homemade bit-beast improved, Emily?" Dr. Judy Mizuhara asked from the stands.

"Not by much," the auburn haired girl replied, "At least, it still pales in comparison to Max's."

Down in the main arena, Max could see the fear spread on Lippy's face as he began to tail his beyblade. The concentration in Lippy's eyes broke as Max shouted,

"DRACIEL ATTACK!"

The attack from the magnificent bit-beast came quickly-it took no effort. Lippy's beyblade gave a few more weak whirls before stopping completely in the dome. 

Max walked confidently back to the waiting Bladebreakers amidst cheers from the crowd.

"See chief?" He calmly told Kenny, "I told you I could do it. I didn't even have to break a sweat."

Kenny ignored his comment and looked up as Chucky from the Bladehunters approached the dome on the other side,

"You know what? We might not even have to duel Zippy if Kai can win just as easily."

The blue-haired boy smirked evilly and clutched his Dranzer tightly. He stood up and walked slowly toward the dome,

"This'll take no time."

A.J. had no problem picking up with his commentary where he last left off.

"Well, Max and his bit-beast Draciel pretty much wiped Lippy off the mat in that match. But does his teammate, Chucky stand a chance against Kai and his all-powerful bit-beast Dranzer? Round 2 of the battle between the Bladehunters and the Bladebreakers is about to start! Get ready players!"

Chucky stared helplessly as Kai grinned at him, holding his launcher ready to strike.

"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"

Kai was merciless. Chucky tried to outrun him just like Lippy had done, but Kai came down right on top of his blade, cutting it apart into small pieces and ending the battle quickly.

Kai picked up his blade and slowly walked back to the Bladebreakers as if nothing had happened. Chucky stared at his broken blade and looking pretty close to tears, picked up the fragmented pieces.

"Well then…" A.J. paused as he spoke overhead, "That's got to be pretty tough. Kai wins this match easily, giving the Bladebreakers their first win in this tournament. However, the Bladehunters will be given another chance to stay in the game with the Beginners." Kai returned to the bench, sat down, and crossed his arms once more,

"Told you that'd take no time."

"Way to go, Kai!" Tyson grinned.

"Very good!" Mr. Dickinson clapped his hands together, "Very good indeed."

Max turned to Chucky, who was still trying to pick up the pieces of his Beyblade.

"That was really unfair of you," he told Kai, feeling a sting of sympathy for the Bladehunter, "There's no way he'll be able to use that blade again…at least not in this tournament."

"I wasn't trying to inflict damage," Kai defended, "It was a lot weaker than I had assumed."

"Aaaah," Tyson complained as they walked backstage, "I was looking forward to battling, too."

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"They're a lot stronger than we assumed," Colby told Trish as they walked through the streets of Aix-en-Provence, "Maybe we should train a little harder."

"Really?" Trish turned, "To tell the truth, I was expecting more from the Bladebreakers. That battle was only a disappointment."

"They _crushed_ the Bladehunters, Trish," Mobekai reminded her, "We're powerful, but not that powerful."

"Maybe you're not, but I am," she amended.

Colby's fists clenched,

"We're a team, Trish-"

"Wrong. You're a team. I'm just here cause that was the deal."

"But Tai-Ken could always-"

"Tai-Ken doesn't have any power over me," Trish snapped, "Only Boris does. I'll help you win this tournament but only because it's my reputation that's at stake. After that, you're on your own."

No one spoke for a few moments. Then Colby asked quietly,

"What _is _it that Boris wants so badly from the Bladebreakers?"

"He doesn't want _something_ from the Bladebreakers. He wants _someone_. Just like Tai-Ken does."

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"I've never seen so many French girls in my life!" Kevin grinned, "Bonjour, Mademoiselle!"

The French maiden giggled and waved back,

"Bonjour monsieur!"

"_C'mon_ Kevin…" Lee grabbed him by the ears, "You can flirt later. Are you done yet, Mariah?"

Mariah walked a few paces ahead of them, holding a bag at her side and devoutly scanning every shop in sight. The White Tigers were at one of the many malls in Aix-en-Provence because Mariah had insisted on some shopping,

"Wait! There's a clothes shop up here. I wanna see-"

Gary yawned quite loudly,

"I'm so tired."

"And _I_ would still like to go see one of DaVinci's homes like we'd planned." Lee protested. 

Mariah gazed longingly at the shop and then looked desperately back at the others. She'd really never liked "pretty" things-jewelry, perfume and clothes, but the tantalizing ads she'd seen in every country she'd been to for beyblade always showed the luxurious items available in the streets of France. Mariah was strongly conscious and proud of the fact that she was the only girl on the White Tigers. It was her strong commanding disposition that made her stand out from other predictable teenage girls. That is, except for the next couple of hours, when she would shop like a French girl.

"You go on ahead and see the exhibit," Mariah clutched her bag, "I'll meet you at the train station."

"We leave at eight," Lee warned.

"I'll be there," Mariah nodded furiously.

"All right then, we'll see you later."

They made their way to the opposite end of the L'Ocean mall.

Mariah turned and began trying on really expensive blouses in _Roswell. _It was really weird, trying on the different outfits because she was so used to her regular sleeveless white top, capris, and comfortable waist jacket. However, each member of the White Tigers was allowed a 150 currency extra budget-approximately the same cost as the countries they were in, of course. Her outfit was starting to feel tight on her and it was starting to smell…so, as she tried on some cute denim jeans, she thought _why not_? She could do with a little change in appearance. Just as long as it was comfortable and easy to wear in all situations. Her burst of girlish feelings weren't prompting her to go wear a miniskirt and tube top. Besides, she wasn't getting paid much for her water job in the White Tiger Village anyway. She might as well indulge while she could.

After another twenty minutes of perusing through the items, she found the perfect top-a light maroon blouse with an elastic chest band and extra long loose sleeves. It was very comfortable and in the bottom left hand corner of the shirt were three yellow flowers. But the price was much too high. 

She was going to get the denim pants, but even if she just got the blouse, she wouldn't have enough for the rest of the trip. She sighed and reluctantly hung the blouse back.

"Au Revoir, Mademoiselle!" The desk clerk called.

"Au Revoir!" Mariah called.

A clock above the Evian water supply store read six thirty-seven.

"Mariah!" Mariah spun around and saw a familiar figure waving from the bench. Max, from the Bladebreakers, was eating a pretzel while four small bags rested behind the bench.

Mariah approached curiously.

"What are the odds that out of every mall in Aix-en-Provence, I end up seeing you here? This mall seems to be the current gathering ground for bladers, huh? I wouldn't be too surprised if the All Stars or the Majestics walked up to us right now."

Now that Mariah thought about it, there_ were_ a lot of bladers hanging around. It was like some sore of magnetism in the air.

"I guess a lot of people just feel like shopping, huh?" she replied.

"What've you got there?" Max saw her bag.

Mariah, a little ashamed at having been caught door shopping, pushed her bag behind her,

"Just some clothes."

Max gestured to the bags next to the bench,

"We're watching Kira and Danikas bags. You know, from the Wild Cheetahs. They're with Tyson downstairs. They heard that the annual hot dog eating contest was being held tonight and he and Kira have entered."

"We?" Mariah asked curiously, seeing only Max.

"Ray's looking for a jacket over there. Wanna sit down?"

"Actually, I really wanted to go…get some pretzels too. That looks really good." Mariah covered. She'd actually spotted a jewelry store that looked intriguing.

"We're heading to the food court when Ray gets back so we can watch the competition. You can come with us," Max offered.

"No. I really shouldn't." 

"Are you sure? It won't take too long."

"No thank you."

"Hey Mariah!" Ray came up behind her, also clutching a pretzel and bag.

"Hiya Ray!" Mariah smiled.

"Are you going to come watch the competition?" He asked.

"No, I'd rather stay up here for a while," she protested.

"Oh, come on!" Max tried again, "And you can get a pretzel too."

"See?" He lifted his up, "Tasty!"

She laughed, 

"I suppose I'll come for just a little while. I don't think you two'll leave me alone anyway."

"Of course not," Ray added jokingly, "We love annoying the crap out of you."

Both boys had to grab the four bags plus the pretzels in their hands and the extra bag Ray was now carrying. Mariah felt a little foolish holding only a small parcel bag.

"Let me take something, kay?"

"It's fine. We got it-" Max started, but she defiantly grabbed two bags from them.

"See?" she grinned, "That's easier, huh?"

Ray laughed,

"Yes, I guess so."

They made their way to the elevators situated in the middle of the hall. 

"By the way, that was a great match today, Max!" Mariah was reminded of the battle when they passed a Beyblade shop. 

"Thanks! So, where's the rest of your team right now?"

"DaVinci's house. I'm supposed to meet them at the train station later."

The lower floor of the L'Ocean mall looked mostly like a small spider-web. The four separate rows of stores all met at the main food court where Mariah, Ray, and Max made their way to the gathering crowd.

"Ray! Max! Over here!" Danika waved to them as she stood next to the platform. She grabbed the bags from them,

"Thanks so much for watching these. How's it going, Mariah? I didn't expect to see you here."

Mariah was a little taken back with her friendliness. She was so used to harsh competitive spitfires from the Wild Cheetah girl that she could barely utter her reply,

"Hi Danika."

Danika smiled briefly before updating Ray and Max on what had happened. Mariah felt too much like a stranger and wished she was either upstairs shopping or in that boring DaVinci house with the other White Tigers. She wondered why Danika and Kira weren't with the other Wild Cheetahs and why they took the liberty of hanging out with Ray and Max from the Bladebreakers, also competition at this point. But then again, to the other four, she was also competition and Ray never refused to speak with her. It was most likely just common courtesy.

A man with a pointy black beard and mustache stood in front of the crowd and pointed at the table behind him where Tyson, Kira, and another plump boy sat impatiently waiting for the queue to dig into the hot dog bowl in front of them.

"In less than a minute, these three contestants will begin eating the thirty hot dogs placed in front of them. The person with the least amount of hot dogs left after a minute's up will take home 10,000 francs. Are you guys hungry?" 

Tyson nodded vigorously. Kira could only stare covetously at the hot dogs and the plump boy, tagged as "André" held the bowl hungrily, a bit of drool running down his chin. Mariah raised an eyebrow,

"As hungry as Kira and Tyson might be, that boy doesn't look like he's had a decent meal in years."

"He's the defending champ," Danika explained.

Max frowned at André's weight,

"He looks pretty well fed to me."

"I meant he looks extremely hungry," Mariah explained, "I'll be back."

"Hurry," Ray added.

She made her way to the pretzel stand. She really didn't want to waste her money on food, but she couldn't very well tell Ray and Max that.

"Salt only, please," she turned back hastily. The competition had already started. A round timer clicked the minutes away. Tyson shoved hot dog after hot dog furiously into his mouth, but he paled in comparison to André who had his head stuffed into the bowl like a dog. She was mildly surprised that Kira was stuffing two to three dogs in her mouth at a time.

"Eight francs, Mademoiselle."

The Attendant handed her the pretzel.

"C'mon, Mariah, you're missing it!"

Ray suddenly appeared at her side and grasped her arm.

"Eight francs," the man insisted.

"I have to-" Mariah began.

"Here," Ray gave the man eight francs and pushed her forward, "You'll miss all of it."

"I could've paid for that," she insisted, once they'd reached the platform. She made to hand him the eight francs she was intending to use, but her pushed her hand back and said,

"It's all right. I really don't mind."

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"Good luck!" Kira winked at Tyson. He gave her a thumbs up,

"Same to you too. Don't enjoy the meal."

"I won't." she laughed. 

"On your appetites," the announcer joked, "Prepare your stomach…3…2…1…EAT!"

Tyson stuffed a bunch of hot dogs in his mouth. André dunked his head into the bowl here he began to rip the hot dogs apart.

Kira planted two to three hot dogs in her mouth and prepared herself with three more while she chewed. 

The clock began to tick even more furiously. 

"That a girl, Kira!" Danika grinned.

"C'mon Tyson!" He could hear Max yell, "You can eat faster than that!"

He picked up the speed and tastefully cut two hot dogs in half before stuffing them in his mouth. Kira got down lower and didn't waste time before stuffing three more into her mouth only seconds after she'd stuffed her face.

Meanwhile, "André" was starting to look a little green.

"Ten more seconds…" the announcer warned.

"C'mon Tyson!" Ray yelled this time.

Tyson courageously grabbed the bowl and began dumping the hot dogs in his mouth,

"That's it!" Max laughed over the crowd.

Tyson's name was soon being chanted as he dumped them down his mouth. Kira stared at him out of the corner of her eyes. The intervals between her hot dog stuffing slowed and even André looked up for a glance at Tyson.

"Time!" The announcer yelled and for Tyson's sake, "Bowls down!"

Tyson looked from his bowl to Kira's to André's. The announcer went through all of them, counted the hot dogs and finally stepped up to announce the winner.

__

10,000 francs is a lot of money…Tyson thought.

"In third place is Kira Ocelet from Panaji, India with only 15 hot dogs left."

A bunch of cheers erupted. Danika whistled and Ray and Max yelled encouraging words as well.

Tyson held his breath,

"And in second place with eleven hot dogs… André Miller, from Paris. That means, with only nine hot dogs left, that Tyson Granger from…"

Tyson could hardly hear what was happening as the crowd yelled and clapped for him. Ray , Max, and Danika were grinning and shouting from the side and even next to him, Kira was clapping as well,

"Good job!"

As the 10,000 francs were dumped in front of him, he grinned and suppressed a burp. Now_ that_ had been a well-deserved meal.

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"That was great Tyson!"

"Good job!"

"You ate pretty fast yourself, Kira! I had no idea…"

Mariah met and congratulated Tyson and Kira after they had all regrouped. She was sure she was having a lot more fun than Lee, Gary and Kevin would be having.

"We really need to be going," Danika interrupted painfully, glancing at her wristwatch, "We're heading to Switzerland tonight so we can get in some more practice before we watch your match tomorrow."

"We're going tonight too!" Mariah added, grateful to contribute to the conversation.

"So are we," Tyson nodded, "Later tonight-we're taking the late train out of here."

"I guess we'll see you around then!"

Kira and Danika waved as they traced their way back through the mall,

"Good luck!" 

"Let's go see the art museum," Max suggested after they roamed the mall for a few minutes, "I hear there are works from Renauld and Picasso there."

"That sounds like something Kenny would say," Tyson moaned.

"Maybe we'll see him there," Ray suggested.

Max shook his head,

"Nah, he's with Kai in the park watching the Beyblade battles to get data."

"Let's go there then," Ray glanced at the rest of the mall, "We have to regroup with the others anyway. Have a nice night, Mariah."

"Bye!" she waved and finally watched as they too disappeared in the crowd. 

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Seven o'clock rolled around and Lee, Gary, and Kevin walked out of an aging building surrounded by brick gates.

"That was…" Lee, who had wanted to see the exhibit in the first place, was actually at a loss for words, "Extremely boring."

"At least we know more about a famous artist," Gary contributed positively.

"I know the village leaders had said we could get out and see the world a little more before we entered the Russian World Tournament two years ago, but honestly, some of this world could do to remain hidden." Kevin yawned.

"We better go get our stuff," Lee looked up at the sky, "We're supposed to meet Mariah in an hour."

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"Summer Breeze," Mariah read curiously off the perfume bottle. She accidentally sprayed herself in the nose, 

"Aaaagh!"

She wiped her face quickly and dropped the perfume bottle.

"Maybe not…"

She was perusing through a nearby perfume shop after deciding that the items in the jewelry shop were much too expensive.

"Wet rosebuds," she read off a label on the brand Tropical Flowers bottle.

"Mariah?!"

She spun around and stared as Emily, from the All Stars, approached with a bottle of lotion in her left hand. At any other time, she'd have laughed, remembering Max's earlier statement: _I wouldn't be too surprised if the All Stars or the Majestics walked up to us right now._

Emily gaped at the fact that she was seeing Mariah in a perfume shop,

"I didn't know you were into perfume."

Mariah pushed the perfume out of sight, slightly flushed,

"I'm _not_. And I didn't know you used lotion."

Emily looked down at the bottle in her hands,

"I happen to find it very relaxing. Not like you'd know anything though."

Mariah's fists clenched,

"Oh, go shove off and buy your relaxing gel!"

Emily smirked and walked away to another shelf. Mariah tried focusing once again on the perfumes in front of her. She couldn't decide whether she wanted wet rosebuds or wild daffodils. She bit her lip and after a few minutes of watching Emily look through different lotions, finally walked up to her,

"Could I get your opinion since you seem to know so much about this stuff?"

Emily brusquely tried on both perfumes before quickly deducting,

"Wet rosebuds. I'd never tire of it."

"Thanks," Mariah brightened and hoping to return the favor, pointed out one of the lotions in Emily's hand, "Oh, I like Sweet Pea. It smells good."

Emily forgot quickly that she was supposed to ignore Mariah and asked,

"Really? I kind of liked this citrus and ginseng."

"Can I try?" Mariah asked curiously.

"Sure!" Emily sprayed some on her elbow.

Mariah sniffed it,

"Oh yeah! I like that much better. I think it fits you better anyway."

Emily smiled,

"Thank you. Have you checked out yet?"

"No, I'm about to do it now,"

As they waited for the clerk to bag their items, Mariah turned,

"Hey Emily? Could you…not mention this to anyone?"

"What? Perfume shopping? Of course."

"Thanks!"

The mall was a lot more crowded when they walked out of the store because it was getting darker outside.

"So, where are the rest of the All Stars?" 

"Judy's at some art exhibits, Michael's touring the streets and Eddy and Steve are at our hotel."

"You're staying overnight?" Mariah asked.

"Oh yeah!" Emily grinned, "So, where's the rest of the White Tigers?"

"Touring DaVinci's home."

Emily frowned,

"I thought that place closed at seven."

Mariah gasped. _The time!_

She glanced at the Evian clock.

"Seven forty! The train leaves at eight!" Mariah began to panic.

"It takes half-an-hour to get to the station!" Emily exclaimed.

"I have to go-I'll see you later!" Mariah turned.

"Wait!" Emily grabbed Mariah's shoulder, "Before you go, I want to tell you-I'm really sorry."

Mariah stared,

"For what?"

"For misjudging you. I thought you were pretty spoiled and snobby…but you're not."

Mariah grinned, "I guess we were both wrong. I thought you were a little miss-know-it-all. Could we start over again? As friends?"

"Anytime," Emily grinned back, then, glancing again at the clock, pushed Mariah forward, "Goodness, you better get going!"

"Bye!" Mariah called as she began to sprint down the mall.

"Good luck!" Emily yelled.

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"Where _is_ she?"

"Monsieurs, we need you to take a seat immediately!" The only French engineer who spoke English approached them, "There are others waiting!"

"We can't!" Kevin exclaimed, "We're waiting for someone still! You _have_ to wait!"

The engineer frowned,

"If the seat is not occupied in five minutes, we will have to give it up to another passenger. There are lots of men and women on standby."

"You can't do that!" Lee protested, "We're Beybladers-we had them reserved in advance."

The engineer shook his head,

"I'm sorry."

Kevin heavily dropped his luggage,

"Shoot. What are we gonna do now?"

"Wait and hope Mariah shows up in five minutes." Lee watched the barriers anxiously.

"And if she doesn't?"

"We'll have to hope she can get alternate transportation."

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Final Note: Yay! I had oodles of fun writing this chapter. I will have lots of chapters like this one: many "in-betweens" in the tournament. Hope you liked it just as much-please read and review!


	6. First Memory

Thanks very much to my favorite reviewers:

Ice Archer Girl: Thank you for the compliment-you're very observant! I look for those qualities too. 

Fire Fox: Only one review? I'm sorry! I'll review your next chapter! Thanks for the Emily/Mariah compliment! 

Starwave: I was really worried that the Emily/Mariah thing might not flow so well. Thanks so much for your warm fuzzy compliments!

Miekkie: Tala! I definitely love Tala more. Johnny's not that bad, I guess. I just think there are better characters.

Naoka-chan (previously known as Tenshi no Hikari): I like your new name! Doesn't the suspense just kill you? (laughs maniacally) I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you thought you might.

angelrita: You put me on your favorite author's list! Cool! Thanks a bunch for reviewing!

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My Observing Days are Over. Now I dig COOL Quotes: 

"You don't have a thing for Ray, do you?" 

Kevin to Mariah in Bye Bye Bit-Beast. Oooooh, Me Likey!

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My Naïve Corner: Are Emily and Michael related to each other: sister/brother? I just noticed a lot of people putting them together like that.

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Authors Note: Sorry about the delay-my computer wouldn't let me get on FF.net for a while. A lot of people really seemed to like Emily/Mariah making up. I'm glad because I want them to be friends anyway. I've already started working on a new story called 

***Angels in China***

Summary_:_ _It's been four years since any of the bladers have seen each other and almost all of them have grown up, though beyblading is still what they're best at. Mariah and Ray meet each other in their old Chinese Village where Mariah finally confesses to Ray that she loves him. But Ray becomes an innocent victim in a freak accident and he never had the chance to say "I Love You" back until he is given a second chance…as Mariah's Guardian Angel. _

So, what do you think? If you like it, I'll start posting as soon as I can. If not, I'll just wait till this story's done before I begin. Tell me your preferences. 

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

I really have no idea whether there's such a thing as the Aix-en-Provence Express Train Station. And I made up Lee's grandfather's name, Miyaki, but if anyone has the real name, I can always change it. Wei, translated American into Elizabeth, is the actual Chinese name of my friend. Maniji is a game I made up.

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

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I'm attempting a flashback in this one, kay? There'll be more, but just a little heads up if it doesn't make sense.

*Tyson*: BRAAAAWWWWPPPPP!

*Tyson*: (looking around) Anyone here?

*Silence*

*Tyson*: HELLO?! CAN ANYBODY HEAR MY VOICE? 

*Tyson*: I guess I'm the only one that's gonna get seconds on desserts. Suckers. Hehe…

*Kenny*: Tyson!

*Tyson*: Aaahh! It wasn't me, chief, I swear!

*Kenny*: What are you talking about?

*Mariah*: Where the heck is the rest of my Chocolate Fudge Brownie?

*Tyson*: I think I better be going now…

*Mariah*: TYSON!

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 6: First Memory

Mariah bounded from rooftop to rooftop in great strides, not even bothering to call for a taxi. She figured it was faster this way, but she didn't dare stop to look at her watch.

She was traveling north for the Aix-en-Provence Express. The wind cut her face like icicles and her feet began to hurt after a while. She began to get tired after fifteen minutes but her determination to make the train kept her on her feet.

She was moving farther from the heart of town so the leaps began to take a lot more effort. The glowing street lamps, stop signs, and lively buzz of people below made it easier for her to see, even in the thick of the night.

"Just a little…oh!"

Her words died with the icy wind as she realized too late that she had jumped too high and would not cut the distance needed to reach the next building. She shrieked and stretched out quickly for anything stable in sight.

Fortunately for her, her foot snagged a clothesline and she fell forward in midair. Her foot dangled dangerously as she stared at the abyss waiting to swallow her below.

Mariah shut her eyes and prayed for a miracle.

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"Monsieurs, we will have to give your seats up. The mademoiselle insists!"

"Tell her to shove it-" Kevin began angrily.

"Kevin!" Gary admonished.

"You can't give us five more minutes?" Lee asked desperately.

"Not unless you would like to give up your seats in exchange for a later train."

"When will it leave?"

"The estimated departure time is 10:16. We should arrive at 12:41 in Bern."

"For four tickets?" Lee asked.

"Yes, of course."

"He looked at Gary and Kevin, who shrugged.

"Just as long as we get there before tomorrow." Kevin said.

"All right, we'll take them."

The engineer handed them four new tickets and signaled his buddy with his whistle.

Lee looked at the clock above the ticket booth and sighed,

"We have a long night ahead of us."

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Mariah dangled perilously 10 ft. above the ground. She figured it would be a waste of breath to yell as no one would hear her and if they did, they would not be able to help her.

Instead, she estimated that the distance to the building was about two body lengths away. That meant that if she could somehow use the clothesline to reach the side of the building, she could climb to the roof. 

She wrapped her other leg carefully around the wire and curled her body upwards. Her foot began to slide as she grasped the rope before her legs fell beneath her body.

Now, the only thing suspending her in midair were the delicate arms holding the thin clothesline. 

She thought back to the days when Ray was still with the White Tigers. They would complete their chores together in the morning and Beyblade together in the park that afternoon. Mariah remembered feeling the strain in her arms on the monkey bars at the playground as she cheered Ray on. But that had been a long time ago and she was no longer on that playground. But she had to pretend she was still hanging with everyone on those monkey bars at that playground. She remembered the encouraging words and support Ray and Lee had given her whenever she had to face her fears and calmly repeated them over in her mind. 

Moving one arm forward at a time, she slowly made her way across the line till she could kiss the wall in front of her. She grabbed the adjacent windowsill and began to climb upward-she was more skilled at climbing steep walls like this one so she was able to reach the top without running into trouble. She sat down against the roof wall and rubbed the stress out of her hands and legs.

Time was very much against her at this point, so it was not long before she stood up and continued her journey across the rooftops.

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"My stomach hurts," Tyson moaned, clutching the bag of 10,000 francs at his side.

"Eating 31 hot dogs can have that effect on someone." Max explained.

They'd finally found the park where Kai and Kenny were checking out bladers. Ray noticed that none of them had bit-beasts. Kenny was also quite disappointed,

"They all stink so there's no point watching them play."

Kai was abysmally quiet this evening, more so than usual. Ray had been expecting him to make some smart remark about where Tyson had gotten the load of money. But he didn't.

As they left the park and began to head for the train station on foot, Ray only half-listened to Kenny's detail of some of the greatest places in Aix-en-Provence. 

Instead, he let his mind wander. He thought about the most recent thing he'd seen: the children beyblading in the park. It wasn't particularly fascinating that they didn't have bit-beasts. In fact, Ray hadn't had a bit-beast at that age, but he'd been particularly good and proud of what he could do. When he'd gotten Driger, he'd just progressed a little more. 

He'd always felt like Driger belonged to him. When the Village Chief, Lee's grandfather, had given him the White Tiger, Ray remembered feeling a surge of happiness and loyalty to the animal, as if he'd held Driger in his palm before. Of course, that was a silly feeling, because he'd always thought Driger rightfully belonged to Lee.

And, of course, he remembered first seeing Lee and Mariah. In fact, it was his earliest memory of life in the Village:

*Flashback*

__

"Ray! Don't touch that!" His mother smacked his arm as he reached for a very large china plate that had a picture of a cheetah on it.

He turned and crossed his arms angrily. His mother returned to talking to an old man right outside their hut and talking in hushed tones. Ray scoffed. She thought he couldn't hear them. He crept under the low table and came to a rest at the mat's edge, so he could get a clear view of his mom's back and the old man's face. He knew the old man, of course. He was related to them somehow or his face wouldn't look so familiar. He could see him talking quietly,

"Are you sure this is all right for you? I could take him somewhere else if it's more convenient."

"No! No, I want him to stay here with me." He could hear his mother reply even more quietly.

"There'll be a Village gathering tonight. I'll introduce you at that point. I'm sorry, Wei; it's safer here and I can keep a closer watch on him."

"I understand. How long do you think you can keep it from him?"

"I'll give it to him when the right time comes. I don't believe he even remembers."

His mother said something else really quietly but Ray couldn't hear. He tried pushing himself forward, but when he arched his back and flipped the table over, she stopped talking and spun around,

"Ray! I've told you over and over again you cannot get under this table. You're getting too big to do that anymore." She clutched his arm and stood him up before flipping the table back onto it's legs. He stood a little more nervously in the doorway.

They didn't fool him for a second. He'd heard every word in that conversation. Even though he didn't have the faintest idea what they were talking about. It certainly wasn't about the good luck the Dragon year was bringing. 

"I better go," the old man nodded. He spoke more loudly this time, as if Ray were deaf. He rolled his eyes in frustration. Why_ couldn't they treat him like he was 5 instead of 2?_ _He wasn't dumb._

"Bye Ray," the man nodded, "I'll be seeing more of you later."

"Yeah, bye," Ray waved briefly.

He frowned a bit before disappearing in the silty morning mist. His mother turned instantly, hands on her hips.

"What?" Ray asked.

"That was rude and you know it. I'm going to have to start teaching you proper manners seeing as you think you're old enough to know them. Besides, the people here are a little different. They expect boys to grow up into strong, proud gentleman."

"Whatever," Ray sat down on the bean mat and traced his hand curiously over the weavings. She placed her hands over his own and stuck them in his lap.

"First thing is that you can drop the 'yeahs' and 'whatevers'. Whenever you are asked a question, you always respond with a 'yes', 'no' or a nod or shake of your head if it's all you can manage."

"Well, then, I hate it here already," Ray moaned bitterly, "I liked being able to respond normally."

"That isn't normal Ray and it's not polite. I think you'll come to like being in this Village. They're going to welcome us tonight at the gathering and you'll maybe meet a friend or two. I expect you to act polite and impress the elders."

"Why did we have to move from the other Village…Mother?" He hoped she had noticed that-it was him being polite.

"Very good, Ray," she beamed, "We moved for personal reasons, but you don't need to know and you shouldn't ask such embarrassing questions."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, though it took a bit of effort to feel remorse for being curious.

"Why don't you go finish unpacking the rest of your stuff, sweetie? It'll give you something to do if you're so bored."

"Yes, mother." Ray walked obediently to his room and opened his very light suitcase. It was going to take a while for him to get used to being a 'polite villager'.

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"Remember to stand up straight and speak clearly, do you understand? Ray? Ray you must_ listen when I speak to you!"_

Ray threw a rather large book down,

"It's not here! Why can't I find anything?"

She frowned,

"What can't you find?

"The attack! I can't find the right attack for my blade!"

His eyes began to water, but he used his knuckles to wipe them away quickly. He had to act grown-up!

His mother watched him quietly,

"Your beyblade? You want to know how to attack with your blade?"

"Yes!" Ray gripped his blade possessively, "I want it to grow stronger!"

His mother suddenly snatched the silver blade out of his hands and slipped it into a very beautiful dish on the wooden shelf Ray couldn't reach.

"What are you doing-?"

"Don't ask questions!" His mother scolded, "Don't speak unless you are spoken to, Kon Ray! You've got to remember that tonight!"

"But you just-"

"And don't complain, either. Grouches and complainers have very unhappy lives. Smile!" She commanded. Ray had been watching his blade covetously, but at his mother's command, he slowly lifted his face and forced a polite smile.

"Good! Remember to be polite and kind to everyone, including the children as well!"

She fixed his yin-yang headband furiously before pushing him out the door into the warm night.

Ray could see hear the people laughing and shouting before he could see them. In the middle of the village, very near the playground, a large fire had been started. Looking through dark doorways, he could see that most of the surrounding huts were already empty. 

When they reached the clearing, men, women and children alike were eating everywhere. That old man came up to them immediately,

"Wei! You made it, good! As soon as the meals have been finished, I'll introduce you and Ray properly. Why don't you come over here? I want you to meet--"

"Miyaki! I need to speak to you about you-know-who. He was doing it this afternoon."

The old man stopped and looked down immediately at Ray who watched them interestedly. The old man turned with his back slightly to Ray and dropped his voice,

"What did he want to know?"

Ray frowned. He could see quite clearly that his mother and the old man didn't want him around, so he began to walk around the area, not really reeling hungry. There was a lot of children over by the playground, so he decided to head that way. The older women, if they weren't talking or eating, were working on quilts and weavings. Almost all the men were talking. Ray could only see a dozen or so men not talking and that was because they were eating or listening. 

All the children were clustered around a group of sticks and marbles. They were playing some sort of game. Ray moved around the group and climbed the monkey bars to the top of the playground so he could get a better view. 

"This is our area! Go find your own!" 

Ray saw a group of four conversing on the platform right beside the slide. They watched him half-curiously and almost half-annoyed. Three of them, the boys, were his age. Two had black hair-one had a bigger nose and the other one was more well rounded. And the last boy had green hair. There was also a younger girl with them-she had bright pink hair and stood out quite clearly,

"Sorry," he half-apologized, "I didn't know there were certain areas you could visit on a playground."

"Well, there are. I don't think I've seen you around so you must be new." The black-haired boy with the big nose spoke.

"I am."

"Well, there are a few things you need to know about how this playground works and how Maniji works."

What was up with these guys?_ Ray wondered._

"Actually, I could care less for whatever Maniji is or what your precious playground rules are."

"Who do you think you are?" the green-haired boy asked angrily.

"The new kid. But, of course, I don't know anything," Ray snapped. Be Polite! _He remembered his mother's warning and added, "Unless you would like to tell me without being rude."_

"Maniji is the sport they're playing there and the playground is where we like to hang out. We all do chores in the morning and the first one done gets this area-the top. I don't recall seeing you at chores," the black-haired boy explained.

"Well, my sport is beyblade and I'll be doing chores tomorrow with the rest." Ray explained.

"We beyblade too," the other black-haired boy explained, "We're the best at it."

"Really?" This caught Ray's attention, "When do you play?"

"Whenever we feel like it. There are lots of beybladers here," the long nosed boy explained.

"I'm pretty good at it myself. I love it." Ray grinned.

The long nosed boy grinned back,

"Well, then, I guess we'll get to see what you can do. My grandpa is the head elder and chief of this village."

"You mean that old man? He keeps coming by to talk to my mom. So, what's your name?"

"Lee. And this is Gary and Kevin. And that's my little sister, Mariah. But she doesn't know how to beyblade."

"Why not?" Ray thought they all knew how to beyblade.

"I'm too young," she answered quickly, and a little bitterly.

"No you're not. I learned when I was three."

"Really?" Gary asked curiously, "I only learned last year." 

"KON RAY!"

Ray turned and saw his mother waving at him furiously,

"I've got to go then, but I guess I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Lee waved.

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"And after the Lioness tribe tore apart the Cre-"

"It just doesn't make sense. Why would they make it legal for everyone to live wherever? To discard tribe descendants and loyalty?"

"Excuse me!" Lee's grandfather stood up, "Among the other things we must discuss, I need to introduce the newest family to our village. This is Wei Kon and her son Ray. They'll be living in the hut next to my daughter. As for the new decree, it would only make sense for-"

Ray looked up and saw his mother beam when several women instantly surrounded and began to ask her questions. He rolled his eyes and turned away. Lee, Kevin, Gary, and Mariah came up to him, smiling. He frowned,

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Kevin shook his head gleefully, "We like you Ray, so you can hang with us anytime you want."

Ray grinned,

"Thanks. So, tell me, how are chores assigned and what do you have to do?"

*END FLASHBACK*

He'd eventually show Mariah how to beyblade himself because Lee would refuse to do it. And he would make a name for himself in the village because he could beyblade far better than any of them, including Lee, Kevin, and Gary. 

He'd also eventually get those manners right, but ever since he'd met Tyson…well, he was pretty proud of being raised the way he had.

"RAY!"

Ray looked up immediately at Chief.

"So, what do you think?"

Ray blinked and looked around at the others,

"Sorry. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to the conversation."

"Never mind then," Kenny grumbled.

"Sorry," Ray repeated. He began to kick rocks on the ground as well, but every so often, he spared another thought of the village.

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"Mariah!" Lee jumped up, "Where have you been?"

"What are you doing here?!" Mariah looked just as shocked, "It's 8:15. You should be on your way to Switzerland right now! You didn't give up the tickets, did you?"

"Traded them in-we're on the late train now," Gary explained.

"I'm sorry," Mariah humbly replied, "I really tried, I swear. I'd lost track of time." She lowered her voice as if it would make her look more sincere, "I'm really sorry, Lee."

He shrugged, his face a little screwed up,

"It's all right really. We just won't get as much sleep as I'd planned. Better kick back, then and get as much as we can here. I couldn't get sleeping bunks."

Mariah set her bag down. Kevin looked miserable, catching her eye as she lay down on the platform while several dozen people walked around them. Gary smiled at her and she smiled back. She couldn't close her eyes with all the people around, also looking curiously at them.

"What time are we leaving?" she asked aloud.

"Eleven. We were supposed to leave at 10:16, but the train's late. We won't get there till two in the morning then."

"That means we have three more hours," she realized bitterly.

"Get some sleep," Lee advised. He sounded almost like he was trying hard to avoid a confrontation.

"In the middle of a train station?" She asked, "You've got to be kidding."

"What else do you plan on doing for the next three hours?" he asked.

She didn't respond, knowing there was nothing else for them to do. They weren't close enough to go sightseeing and the closest thing within reach was already closed for the night. She shut her eyes and instead thought about what they would see in Bern.

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"Chief must have you and Tyson in the lineup for the Tall Boys because Kai and I have already dueled," Max told Ray as they waited for Kenny to return with their boarding passes. 

"You might be dueling again if we can't pull off a win in the first two matches," Kai contradicted from the side.

"Not if we win the first two matches," Ray frowned defensively.

"Chief might want you in though, Kai…" Max replied.

"I played against the Bladehunters, Max. Don't push me." Kai responded icily.

"Tough luck guys," Kenny and Tyson returned at that time. Kenny held the tickets up,

"The train doesn't leave for another 50 minutes."

"You're kidding," Max straightened.

"What are we gonna do till then?" Ray gaped as well.

"We could do what they're doing." Kai suddenly pointed out a small group lounging about near one of the barriers.

"That's the White Tigers!" Tyson turned, "I thought they were supposed to leave on the earlier train."

"They're one short," Max frowned, "Where's Mariah?"

"There. Renegotiating seats probably." Ray pointed to the girl arguing with the usher.

"50 minutes," Kenny repeated, wiping his brow, "This is going to take forever. I should have just booked us a hotel like the All Stars. Sorry guys."

"Ah, we'll get to see Switzerland before them," Tyson compromised, "Let's go see if we can find an empty bench."

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"Lee! Lee, wake up! The trains getting ready to leave!"

Lee awoke on the hard ground. Kevin and Gary were nearby with their bags already shouldered and Mariah was clipping her bag on. He felt strangely hot and dizzy, but he ignored it. 

"Here's your bag. I got us some sleeping bunks." Mariah pushed Lee toward the end train compartment.

Lee turned,

"But you couldn't have! The engineer said there were no-"

"Three hours and nothing to do but sleep?! I argued my way into one."

"She wouldn't leave him alone. And every time she goes near him now, he starts getting snappy with everyone," Kevin rubbed his hands together, "It could come in handy if we ever need to blackmail anyone."

"Kevin!" Mariah glared shamefully.

"You must have been pretty tired-you slept the entire time." Gary explained.

"Well, I'm okay for now," Lee replied confidently, "Let's just get out of here. I'm sick of France."

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Ray walked through the full compartments an hour after the train had left Aix-en-Provence. The air outside the window was pretty foggy and the compartments were completely dark except for the occasional candle lighting overhead. He could barely see his shadow, but he'd slept pretty lightly and had decided to just forego staying in the bunk. He hoped that maybe they had a few snacks available for some light midnight snacking, but if not, at least he was doing something productive.

In the sleeping bunks, it was pretty common to hear the occasional snort or low gargle from one of the closed bedrooms.

As he was passing by the last sleeping compartment though, the door suddenly jerked open and a skinny man, probably a little taller than himself brushed quickly past him.

Ray raised an eyebrow and turned to confront the man, but the skinny gentleman had turned already to blurt an apology,

"Sorry about that-" 

He stopped in mid-sentence and stared at Ray's headband.

After a few minutes of silence in which the man stared at him, Ray finally replied, a little shakily,

"Actually, I really don't care one way or the other. Goodnight to you, sir."

He turned, feeling much like a circus sideshow, and had almost disappeared into the shadows when he heard the man reply.

"Yes…goodnight Ray."

Ray suddenly broke into a run, curiously wondering whether the man read too much into the passengers or had just seen him Beyblade.

Whatever the case, every time the man had spoken, a chill had shot up his spine.

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Gary couldn't sleep at all in the wooden bunks because the train kept jerking him forward. He sat up and fingered his bit-beast Galzzy. It wasn't nearly as good as Mariah's lynx or Lee's lion, but he had a special bond with his bear and felt very lucky to be a member of the White Tigers.

An announcement ran through the train,

"Attention, all passengers, we should be arriving in Bern in 25 minutes. Staff, please secure luggage and check passports."

Gary felt Lee twist beneath him suddenly.

"Lee?" He asked quietly.

From above, he watched the boy get up and start running for the bathroom. The train gave another violent swerve forward. Gary could suddenly hear noisy lurches and smell a foul stench coming from the bathroom.

"KEVIN! MARIAH!" Gary got down from the bunk immediately, "WAKE UP! Lee's sick!"

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Final Note: My chapters seem to be getting longer, huh? Thanks for being so patient and tell me how you think I did!


	7. Snow Adventures Part 1

Thanks very much to my favorite reviewers:

Hikari Tenshi: Yeah, I wanted to make Ray rude when he was younger-nobody could be a perfect little gentleman. I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing!

whisper*2*imaginary: YES! Tala's blushing at me? Ooohh…! And my deepest sympathies for Johnny…hehe. He's starting to grow on me. Not literally, of course. 

Starwave: That's too bad about your computer. ): Yes…poor Lee. I hope he gets better soon too. (;

****

Cool Quotes: 

Johnny: "Robert's in trouble! We should try some of that teamwork stuff." 

Olliver: "I don't know if I should yell or shout or whatever."

Reference to Robert's battle with Tyson in _A Majestic Battle…A Majestic Victory?_

****

My Naïve Corner: Where can you get the Beyblade DVD's? I've looked _everywhere_ and I still can't find anything. Is there some secret underground distributing place? Shucks, I want in.

****

Authors Note: This chapter and the next chapter (SA: Part 2) were my all time favorite chapters to write. So far, that is. I'm looking forward to writing some other ones. (; I hope you like it as much as I think you will! 

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

I made the poem up, "Where has nature gone?" Anyone can use it if they would like as long as they give due credit.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs.

*Ray*: Do you need help cleaning up, Mariah?

*Mariah*: Nah, I've got it. Besides, I need to hurry and get back. 

*Ray*: Well, then, with two on the job, it'll get done faster.

*SecretQuill*: NO! Ray, you should stay here and play a game with me.

*Ray*: What kind of game?

*Max*: Uh…oh….

*SecretQuill*: I don't know! Any type of game! Darn, where in the world did my blue feathers go?

*Tyson*: Blue feathers? What blue feathers?

*SecretQuill*: The ones I'm missing. I found them in the chicken coop and decided they looked pretty, but I know Scarlet must have been playing with them.

*Ray*: Scarlet? 

*SecretQuill*: My cat.

*Ray*: Um…I'm a little allergic to cats. I think I'll be safer in the kitchen.

(Ray follows Mariah into the kitchen).

*SecretQuill*: Hmmph! She shouldn't have come over at all! Soon, Ray will be following _me_ into the kitchen. Hehehe…(^evil grin^)

*Max*: Fat chance, SecretQuill. Everyone who's anyone knows Ray and Mariah are crushing each other. 

*Scarlet*: Meow!!

*SecretQuill*: (grabs cat and tosses out the window onto a pick up truck) THERE! How about that!? I certainly hope he's happy now! 

*Tyson*: Actually, Ray's not allergic to cats at all. He made that up as an excuse to go help Mariah.

*SecretQuill*: (gasp!) SCARLET!

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 7: Snow Adventures Part 1

"I've got this for you, Ray," Kenny handed him a brand new rip chord, "It's longer than the average rip chord, so it should help your blade stay in the game longer."

"Thanks Chief." Ray examined the green rip chord.

"I also made some improvements to your blade. Max' too. It should help in your battle today."

"I'm blading today, right chief?" Tyson asked.

"Yes, but I'm counting on Ray and Max to pull off a quick win so you might not have to battle."

"I want to battle, though," complained Tyson.

"You should save your strength for the battles that count, Tyson." Kenny warned.

"What kind of upgrades did you use, chief?" Max poked around at Draciel.

"You have a great defense, Max, so I upgraded your offense. Your blade is now faster and I tweaked some of edges so it's little more unpredictable. It still goes where you want it to go, though."

"What about mine?" Ray asked curiously.

"On the contrary, you have a great balance between your offense and your defense, Ray, so I updated both. I added more curves to your blade, so it will spin faster and I added this plastic covering here on your blade ring, so it's less penetrable. That and the rip chord should improve your blade quite a bit."

"The Tall Boys will be easy to beat," Max smiled confidently, "What time is our match?"

"Not till tonight at seven," Mr. Dickinson suddenly entered _The Alpine Plaza_ hotel room with a bagel in hand, "I've booked you boys overnight here. Let me tell you, Switzerland is _beautiful_ at night. I trust you arrived here safely?"

They nodded.

"What have you been doing here, Mr. Dickinson?" Tyson asked.

He grinned and held up some small gray tickets,

"You can't very well visit Switzerland and not ski on the Alps."

"No way!" Max jumped forward.

"Wow!" Tyson grabbed a ticket, "You're the best, Mr. D!"

"Thanks," Kai added as well.

Ray looked out the window excitedly as he held his own ticket,

"This is _awesome._ Where'd you get these?"

"They're courtesy of the BBA team sponsorship. Actually, it works out quite nicely because, you see, I need to go meet with a business partner."

"When do you think you'll be back?" Max asked.

"I'll see you at the match tonight, I promise."

And with that, Mr. Dickinson left with a wave.

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Mariah clutched her pink jacket over her shoulders and walked down the sleet covered streets of Bern. She kept an eye out for a pharmacy or drug store at all times.

Gary and Kevin were at the hotel with Lee, who was running a fever. He must have gotten it in Paris the night he'd been practicing on the roof. 

She finally found a quaint little place titled _Shorty's Medicinal Store_. Inside, it was very quiet. Only two or three more people walked the aisles.

"Excuse me?" She leaned over the counter and ringed the bell, "Anybody there?"

A strong Swiss accent replied from the backroom.

"Yes, yes! Hold on just a minute, ma'am…"

A tall man with dark orange hair, beard, mustache and a number of freckles came out, carrying a large load of empty boxes. He wiped his brow and leaned against the register,

"How may I help you, miss?"

"My friend is sick. He's throwing up and has a fever. Do you have anything I could use to make it go away?"

He began to laugh,

"I'm afraid right now the best thing for your friend is sleep and as much water as possible. But I do have some tablets that could lessen the symptoms."

"Oh, really? I would appreciate that very much."

Mariah waited as he scuffled into the back and came out seconds later with two prescriptions.

"I'll give you another for free. Business is pretty slow these days."

"Thanks!" Mariah paid him and walked outside, "Have a nice day!"

"You too! Keep warm!" He waved merrily.

The hustle of early morning traffic and snow blowers were loud and noisy in her ear. More men and woman had appeared on the streets, in a rush to get to work. They seemed quite unaffected by the icy weather, but they seemed to be appropriately dressed.

The hotel was two blocks away, but the area between was filled with all sorts of commercial stores and Mariah loved the see the people bargaining.

As she passed a clothing store, someone stepped out whom she recognized very plainly,

"Mobekai! Mobekai!"

But he did not seem to hear her and she had to grab his shoulder to get his attention.

"Mariah!" He turned, "When did you get here?"

"Last night." She held up the prescription and explained, "Lee's sick."

"That's tough. I hope he gets better."

"What have you been up to?" She eyed the four large bags in each hand.

"Clothes shopping for everyone. We're used to the heat," he grinned, "So, what are you doing today?"

"I'm not sure yet. Go see some sights, probably."

He reached into his bag and pulled out some yellow papers,

"Do you want to snowmobile with me later today?"

"Oh! I'd love to," she smiled excitedly, her eyes twinkling.

"You look pretty when you smile." he commented more to himself than to her.

She blushed at his statement and a little embarrassed, he covered up quickly, 

"Are you cold? Here, you can take my jacket." He pulled out a newly bought fur jacket.

"Thank you," she felt the warmth envelope her instantly, "Where are you staying?"

"_The_ _Wind Chime_. How about you?"

"Here at _The Alpine Plaza_."

"Well, I'll come inside with you. Everyone else has already headed over to the ski resort. I never liked to ski."

"I don't think I'd mind, but I never learned."

"I guess we're both good, then?" He held open the door to _The Alpine Plaza._ "Do you know where everyone else is?"

"The All-Stars are arriving today and the Bladebreakers should be here too. We were on the same train up. And as for everyone else, I have no idea."

"Is eleven all right? We can pick up some lunch before we go."

"Sure. That's perfect." 

She took off the fur jacket and handed it back to him. She could feel the cold wind even through the double glass doors of the lobby,

"Thanks a lot, Mobekai."

"The pleasure's all mine."

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"I think these ski's are a little too big for me," Emily lifted the heavy boards behind her back and dusted the snow off her shoulders.

"They'll work out all right," Eddy received his own ski's.

Michael pulled his goggles down and looked around the shop,

"Where's Steve? I'm not going to wait all day for him. Let's go, Emily."

"Am I waiting for him then?" Eddy asked, "I think he's just buying some gloves."

"Yeah, can you wait?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I should."

"Good. Let's get on that ski lift."

"Wait, Michael," Emily demanded and approached the counter where she grabbed some tissues, "I get a runny nose in high atmospheres. Okay, let's go."

They approached the line where they could see a man directing people to sit and stand at the appropriate times.

"Ready? 1…2…3…all right, who's up next?"

Emily and Michael approached.

"Put your feet there and just sit down like you would in a chair."

The lift pulled around and Emily and Michael took a seat. Emily shut her eyes immediately,

"I tend to have a fear of heights as well."

"Cool, let's try that pass over there!"

Emily opened her eyes and saw Michael pointing toward the steepest slope,

"Are you sure? I'd much rather work my way up."

"Nah-let's do it now before it gets too crowded."

Emily saw the long dark red hair and dark orange haired girls in front of them before it occurred to her who they were,

"Hey! Those are the girls that we saw the other day! They belong to that new team, the Wild Cheetahs."

Michael's eyes clouded over and he stared at the scenery below,

"Yes, I noticed."

Emily didn't notice his sudden gloominess and instead watched the skiers making their way down all the slopes. 

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"I don't really like to ski," Kenny mumbled nervously in the ski lift, next to Tyson.

"Aaaaah, don't sweat so much. He-eey! Check out _that_ slope!"

Kenny noticed a barricade of rocks and trees and branches,

"I don't really like that slope. Let's try this one here!"

Tyson stared at the dinky straight slope and shook his head,

"Nah. We'll do that one later." 

He spun around in the lift and yelled down to Max and Ray in the next lift, pointing furiously at the first slope,

"Let's do that one!"

"Are you sure?" Max yelled back, giving a slightly concerned look at the slopes rocky condition.

"It's safe isn't it? Or they wouldn't be letting us use it! Tell Kai!" Tyson bellowed again.

Ray turned around in his seat behind them and replayed the message to Kai who was in the lift behind theirs.

"Well," Kenny began nervously, "It's not that I don't like to ski as much as I don't know how to ski, Tyson."

"You don't know how to ski?!" Tyson dropped his face in his hands, "I'll show you how to do it. You'll catch on quickly."

Kenny watched the second, perfectly straight slope wistfully as they passed below it, 

"I'd still rather start out on less rocky terrain."

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"Lee, sit down! He said you need to rest!" You're overworking yourself!" Mariah put her brush down and walked into the main room.

"I'm _fine_, Mariah!" Lee picked up a magazine, "I just want to use my legs for a minute."

There was suddenly a knock at the door. Mariah answered it immediately, but it wasn't Mobekai. It was a desk clerk that looked young and inexperienced. He read off a manila envelope,

"Is this the right place to find the White Tiger Beyblade team?"

"That's us."

"This is for you from the BBA." He handed her the manila envelope. As an afterthought, he added,

"Yeah…have a nice day."

"Bye." Mariah shut the door quickly before he could say anything else.

"What is it?" Kevin sat up on the bed.

"A letter and four tickets." 

She opened the letter and read it quickly before setting the tickets down, 

"They're free ski tickets, courtesy of the BBA."

"I'm going," Kevin jumped up immediately and grabbed one, "I'm so bored I was afraid I might actually start reading."

Lee frowned,

"I wish I could go."

"I'll come too. It sounds like fun," Gary picked up the letter, which included a description of the lift area.

"How about you, Mariah?" Kevin asked.

"Actually, Mobekai invited me to go snowmobiling with him."

Lee looked up disapprovingly,

"I don't like him, Mariah."

"Well, _I_ like him and I don't care if you do or not."

"You really shouldn't be hanging out with competition." Kevin frowned.

Mariah glared,

"He isn't competition!"

Lee stared at her for a few seconds and then calmly drank some water.

"Humph!" She returned to the bathroom. 

"We'll be going now," Gary walked to the door.

"You don't want us to stay, Lee?" Kevin asked.

"I'm fine. _Go_!" He ordered.

"Bye!" Gary closed the door behind him.

"I'm going early to meet Mobekai," Mariah came out of the bathroom, "You should really try and get some rest, Lee."

As Mariah closed the door, she heard Lee say again,

"I really don't like Mobekai."

Mariah rolled her eyes.

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"I _don't_ like skiing, Tyson." Kenny complained as he tried to pick his skis up out of the snow.

"Don't sweat it chief," Ray flew off to his left and skidded skillfully around some trees.

"Easy for _you_ to say!" Kenny yelled.

"Push forward using your ski poles! You don't need to lift your feet like that at all," Tyson explained.

Kenny tried pushing forward, using the poles, but he only pushed himself into the ground,

"No, no, chief! You're doing it all wrong! I said you don't have to move your skis, not stand like a stiff rock!" Tyson shouted.

"You said not to move and now you're saying that's right?" Kenny looked confused, "Make up your mind already!"

A haughty voice called out behind them,

"Look, Emily, the Bladebreakers need a lesson on how to ski. Maybe they need it more for their Beyblading skills." 

Tyson spun around and began shouting at Michael,

"Look, you pompous red-haired freak! I could out ski and out Beyblade you any day and I'll prove it you right now!"

Michael chuckled and pulled his goggles down,

"You're on."

Tyson dug his ski poles into the snow and leaned down fiercely.

"Tyson, this is stupid! What if you get hurt? Besides, I'd really rather have you here so you can-" Kenny said anxiously.

"Stuff it, nerd!" Michael narrowed his eyes angrily.

"I resent that remark very much, Michael," Emily put her hands on her hips.

"Are we gonna sit around and talk or are we gonna do something about this, huh?" Tyson shouted. "On your marks! Get set…GO!"

They propelled down the mountainside.

"No! Tyson! I need you to teach me how to ski!" Kenny yelled after Tyson's retreating back, "Just great."

"I'll teach you, Kenny." Emily pulled up beside him.

"Thanks!" He brightened considerably.

"It's easy. Push backward into the snow with the ski poles and lean your body forward at all times. Use the poles and push outward in the opposite direction to move left or right."

"Huh?" Kenny asked.

"Like this!" She took his hands, which were holding the poles, and placed them firmly in the snow. "Now push your body forward and push your arms behind you."

Kenny started sliding forward, accelerating with the mountain's slope.

"Good!" She called excitedly.

"Thanks and all!" Kenny shouted, narrowly missing a tree, "But you forgot to tell me how to stop…!  
"Shoot!"

She pulled herself forward to try and keep up with him,

"Keep digging your poles in the snow, Kenny!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Kenny dug frantically.

"Now swerve to the side and drag the ski poles along the ground with you till you stop!"

Kenny swerved and stopped, but only after he hit the tree.

"Ouch!" Kenny rubbed his forehead. Emily came up beside him and lay down her poles.

"You're bleeding!" She ran a finger along his brow, where a line of blood began to drip. He blushed a bit at her touch. She took one of her tissues and wrapped it around his forehead,

"That should keep the infection out. You should probably climb the mountain and take the ski lift down to an easier level."

"Thanks, Emily."

He got down on one knee and unclipped his skis, "I guess I just don't have the patience for this kind of thing."

"Everyone's good at something, Kenny. You're just better at analyzing data."

"Thanks, Emily, but I'll probably just head back."

"Suit yourself. I'll see you tonight, then."

"Yeah, okay. Bye!"

He watched her curve gracefully around the tree he'd just plastered himself into. He sighed and began to crunch his boots into the packed snow as he trekked up the snowy mountainside.

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Tyson swerved around a tree and saw Michael jump a rock and land in front of him.

"What?!" He stared and pushed faster off his poles, body hunched forward. He began to move past Michael, but it was only because Michael had hit some grass and it was slowing him down.

Michael skillfully dipped his ski poles behind him and hunched on his knees as he swerved past Tyson. Tyson tried getting closer to the ground, but each time he did, he got dangerously close to tumbling. 

They were headed for a grove of big trees. If they didn't swerve right hard, they'd run into them. Tyson had started swerving and yelled for Michael to do the same thing, but Michael ignored him. 

Tyson came to a stop as he watched Michael finally realize where he was headed, try to stop and instead hit a low branch between the two trees. He tumbled to a halt five feet below the trees. Tyson skied down and helped him up,

"Let's just call it a tie, okay?" 

Michael looked a little disgusted, but after a moments hesitation, nodded in approval and shook Tyson's outstretched hand.

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Ray gracefully leaned in a figure eight around some trees and did a couple more loops around some rocks, enjoying the soft breeze on his face. 

He moved toward the open snow and let himself slide forward freely while he closed his eyes to think.

He remembered now why the man on the train had sent shivers up his back. He knew now that he'd seen that face before. He kept hearing Rochelle in his mind, but he couldn't figure out what it meant. If he had met the man before, it must not have been a pleasant experience. Ray opened his eyes and swerved among the rocky terrain once more. 

He heard her before he could see the wild red hair. She pulled up beside him and pushed fiercely off her ski poles, jumping over some grass. She turned and cocked her head to the side as if challenging him to do better. 

Ray grinned at Danika and looped her quickly from the front. She dug her poles into the ground in surprise to prevent herself from skiing right into him.

She raised an eyebrow and jumped over a low lying tree branch.

__

What in the world? Ray thought. She was very good.

He knew it was going to be dangerous, but the blood pumping his veins only encouraged him further.

He spun around and began to ski backwards. Glancing behind his shoulders, he did a figure eight around two trees, narrowly missing the branches and jumped backward off the large rock directly behind them. He attempted to spin around and land on his feet facing forward, but his skis got tangled and he fell hard in the snow.

He started to laugh at what he'd been trying to do.

Danika pulled up grinning,

"You're very good."

"Thank you for that," he smiled a little breathlessly and got down on one knee, unbuckling his skis so he could see if he'd hurt himself or not. His leg was a little swollen but it seemed to still be working perfectly, "You were quite a challenge. Do you practice?"

"No. I just love skiing." She helped him up, "Have you had fun so far?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Do you want to go back up together?" 

He looked back up the slope.

"That's a long way to walk."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant at all. We'll take the lift back up."

He readjusted his skis and stood back up, but she pushed him back down immediately and propelled down the slope,

"I'll race you!" she shouted.

"Oh no you don't…" He finally pushed off again as well.

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Emily stopped to the side of the trail and wiped her face with the tissue she'd gotten earlier. It was really muggy up here. The tightly packed air particles made it difficult to breathe, especially because she had a lot of trouble taking complete breaths.

The pressure on her sinuses had inflated too so all she felt like doing at the moment was sneezing, even though she didn't actually have to.

"Emily!" She looked up and watched someone pull up beside her. She didn't recognize him, till he pulled off his cap.

"Hi Max!" She smiled.

"Hey! Been having fun?"

Emily thought of all her troubles; her failure to teach Kenny right, her lack of anything productive on the slope and her stupid nose and sinuses.

She shook her head,

"Not really."

"That's too bad. Maybe it'll get more exciting."

"Actually," she looked down the slope, "I'm thinking about heading back."

"How about if I come with you?" He pulled his cap back on.

She pulled her goggles down, 

"Sure, that sounds like fun." 

"See?" he grinned. "Now you can't say you haven't been doing anything fun."

He pushed off lightly and she called behind him,

"I'm not racing, Max!"

Max pushed harder and put a little distance between them,

"MAX!" she shouted again.

She pushed off her poles a little harder and pushed her body low to the ground so the skis would go farther.

She caught up with him after a while only to realize he was going slow on purpose.

"Max!" She moaned.

"Emily!" He moaned back sarcastically. 

Then, grinning, he added, "Hey, watch this."

He went for a tree to the left of them. At first it looked like he was going to run into it, but then he pushed his poles underneath his arms and went underneath the lowest branch on his knees. He stood up quickly and swerved to the right, narrowly missing a rock.

"You're going to get hurt!" Emily pulled up beside him.

"Nah-I've done it loads of times."

Emily's head started to hurt a bit with the pressure of the loud wind rushing past her ears.

"Now you try it." Max encouraged her.

"Me?" She shook her head intensely, "I don't think so. I could never do that."

"It's easy. Just get down on your knees and keep skiing till you pass underneath. Besides, Ray's the only one of us that can actually jump anything. You'll do fine."

"All right. I'll try…how about this?"

She had spotted a tree with a pretty high branch that looked easy enough. She pulled her poles behind her just like she'd seen Max do.

The branch came up and she dipped down onto her knees and closed her eyes, sure it would snag her hair. But it didn't.

She opened her eyes and turned around. She'd already passed under the tree. Max pulled up beside her grinning,

"I told you you could do it! You're a natural!"

She beamed with pride.

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"Mobekai, where's your ticket?" 

Mariah looked at his hands worriedly as they reached the area. He felt around his suit and looked at the snowmobiles,

"Ooops! I guess we'll just have to take only one snowmobile."

She noticed he was smiling a bit and realized he'd left it on purpose. They got their helmets from the side of the gift shop and got their only snowmobile.

They were to ride south for town and drop the snowmobile off at another station there.

"Do you want to drive?" Mobekai offered. She shook her head.

"Okay, you'll have to hold on to me though or you'll go flying off the back."

He revved the engine once, but it didn't start.

"Why won't this go?" He wondered. 

He revved it once more and it still didn't work.

"Hey!" Mariah shouted at the nearest attendant,

"This one won't work!"

He walked over and over the mobile engine for a second,

"Try it one more time."

Mobekai turned the ignition key once more, waited, and then turned it again.

A puff of smoke blew out the back before the engine roared to life.

"There she goes," he attendant patted the back, "She should work just fine right now."

"Thanks!" Mariah stuck her helmet on and swung her legs over the seat.

She grabbed Mobekai's shoulders and he glanced back at her,

"You ready?"

She nodded.

"If you keep your head down, the ride won't be as bouncy," he advised.

She rested her head on her hands and he pulled forward, slowly accelerating. It was like a motorcycle, only snow billowed up against their sides. It was bouncy and every time he accelerated quickly, she would fall backwards. The third time this happened, she just wrapped her arms around his stomach and rested her head on his back.

The countryside was really pretty and every so often, he would point out a deer, squirrel, or a bird. They had traveled about halfway to their destination point when Mobekai asked if she wanted to switch and drive for a while.

She took the wheel in her hands and accelerated forward very quickly. Mobekai grabbed her around the waist in surprise and she laughed; he looked quite white.

"Not so fast!" He yelled in her ear over the engine.

She nodded and slowed down a bit. Now _this_ was fun!

She took pleasure turns in and out of trees and after a while, Mobekai asked,

"Enjoying it?"

"You bet!" 

Now they were about 2/3 of the way to their destination. When Mariah reached the open country, she sped up a little. Mobekai started singing a song behind her,

__

"

The wind will blow through the willows, the river will flow 

and trees will sway.

Each day the forest grew stronger and the inhabitants rejoiced, for nothing could destroy such a beautiful place.

But time began to pass, the owl got a little wiser and the coyote began to howl,

'Where has nature gone? Oh, where has the nature gone?

The trees are now falling, the waters are slowly dying and it's getting hard to breathe, 

So tell me now, where has nature gone?'

And the human and his dogs sing into the trees,

'I need it now for my clothes and my things.'

The rabbit begins to burrow for almost all nature is lost,

But once in a while under the glory of the moon, you'll hear the coyote howl again,

'Where has nature gone? Oh, where has the nature gone?'

"

"That's pretty." She remarked when he was done, "Where did you hear that?"

"My grandfather used to sing it to me all the time. I know lots of folktale songs and stories. Would you like to hear some?"

"Oh, yes. I would love to."

"We should stop somewhere and take a break. I brought some water and grapes."

"I'll pull over here."

She stopped by the only small group of trees in the plains and brought the snowmobile to a rest. She couldn't feel Mobekai behind her and turned around, pulling her helmet off,

"Mobe-?"

A snowball suddenly flew at her face and she shrieked, grabbing her own little arsenal of snowballs and pelting them at him,

"So _that's_ why you wanted to stop!"

He laughed and threw some more at her face,

"You should have been expecting a snowball fight!"

She grabbed a snowball and came running up to him. She tried smashing it in his hair, but he grabbed her hand and smashed his own snowball in her hair. She pushed him down into the snow and lay down next to him.

She put her hands and her feet together and then lifted them up in quick successions, making a snow angel in the ground. 

He made an angel next to her, but then he said,

"I'll tell you a story, Mariah. It's about a fox and a rabbit. The rabbits name was Colter and the fox was Sliben. Colter always collected and ate as much food as possible before hibernating, but Sliben had gotten extra hungry and had eaten too many mice, so all Colter had left for the winter was carrots. Colter did not want to go hungry, so he told Sliben he would collect as much food for Sliben if Sliben found mice for him. Colter kept his end of the bargain and collected food for Sliben, but Sliben was too greedy and didn't see how he could profit from his end of the deal, so he found the mice and showed Colter, but he always ate them afterward. When Colter asked for the mice, Sliben couldn't produce any and Colter threatened to tell everyone what a slime ball Sliben was. Sliben began to get afraid of the rabbit's threat and ate Colter in his sleep. But Sliben had already eaten too much for winter and his stomach exploded when he ate Colter. The other animals found little pieces of fur, carrots and, of course, mice, around the area. It was called Colter's Den."

"That sounds like a fable." Mariah closed her eyes and dug her angel deeper.

"I think it is. My Uncle particularly liked it I think because there was really no moral. It's just a stupid story about a fox and a rabbit."

"Maybe there is a moral and we just have to apply it to us personally." Mariah suggested.

Mobekai sat up and poured some snow on her face. She put her hands up defensively and he replied,

"I don't think so. Don't think too much about it. It'll bog your pretty head down and we don't want that, do we?"

A shiver suddenly ran up her spine. Mobekai looked at her as if he'd felt it too.

"Let's go ahead and go before something happens," Mariah sat up and turned around to look at her angel, carved deep into the snow next to Mobekai's angel,

"I think it looks good, don't you?"

"Yeah…" he watched her, "Mariah?"

"Hmm?" She looked up.

"Can I kiss you?"

She blushed deeply and felt strangely upset at his request. _Had she been leading Mobekai on? _She was still very much attracted to Ray. If she kissed Mobekai, would she never have a chance with Ray? _Or was she slightly attracted to Mobekai?_ He _was_ very cute. He had dark blue eyes, tan skin and shaggy dark black hair that looked cute over his eyes. _She couldn't have been leading Mobekai on falsely because she really did like him a lot._ But did that mean she no longer liked Ray? Or would she have to wait till Ray finally figured out she liked him before she could decide? She felt so very confused.

"I…don't think you should yet Mobekai." She explained, "I'm sorry. I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of a relationship."

"That's all right. I certainly don't mind waiting."

She picked up her helmet and got on the snowmobile. She turned the key in the ignition and waited. Mobekai got on behind her,

"What's wrong?"

"It won't start." She frowned and turned it again, "It won't even rev."

"Let me try."

He turned it two more times and they got it to rev., but just as soon as it started up, a loud popping noise came from the engine and it died instantly.

Mobekai got up and looked under the engine.

"Do you see the problem?" Mariah came around.

He pulled back for her to see,

"Yeah…the engines frozen over completely! We shouldn't have stopped."

The engine looked like a huge ice block, little puffs of moisture emitting weakly from the surface.

She looked back up the desolate mountain and then back down to the blur that was supposed to be the village in the distance,

"I guess we better just keep going on foot. It's a longer trip back."

"Let's bring the helmets…they might come in handy." He grabbed the backpack with all of their stuff and followed her down the steep mountainside.

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Final Note: Like Hikari Tenshi said, the longer, the better and good thing too, cause the next one is just as long. After that is finally the battle with the Tall Boys. That about wraps things up, yeah…


	8. Snow Adventures Part 2

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Galux Kitty: Yeah, I would have to agree with you there. I would smack the guy upside the head if he asked me like that. But it's not my decision: it's Mobekai's. And as for Ray and Mariah: Ray won't ask Mariah if he can kiss her; he'll just do it! But not till later (; 

neko-neko: The relationship will definitely turn more romantic between Mariah and Mobekai. And Ray will start falling in love with Mariah, but it's not gonna happen just like that. I'm taking my time.

kaz: (bows) I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

Starwave: (grabs Mobekai and ruffles his hair) Hey, she thinks you're pretty nice! It will definitely be Mariah and Ray! Mobekai will just stew Ray's jealous side…hehehe.

whisper*2*imaginary: Aww…(grabs Tala and squeezes him) "You cute mysteriously handsome person you!" Thanks for sending him to me! Hehehe. (begins to sing over Johnny's wails) Miekkie and Johnny sitting in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G! 

Hikari-Tenshi: Yea! You're so wonderful! You've reviewed every chapter and now I'm on your favorite's list! This one will for sure be Mariah/Ray, but it's nice to know you wouldn't mind having it be Mariah/Mobekai.

****

Cool Quotes: 

"That blade eats more than Tyson!"-Dizzi

"That's saying a mouthful, Dizzi."-Ray

Reference to Kai's battle with the White Tigers in 'Losing Kai'.

****

My Naïve Corner: What type of animal is Draciel? An armadillo?

****

Authors Note: I can't believe how many people actually fell in love with Mobekai's personality! My little sweetie…Anyway, there'll be more romance between both Mobekai/Mariah and Mariah/Ray. So here's the rest of the beginning! Hehe…

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs.

*Mariah*: What smells?

*Max*: SecretQuill. She just chased after a pick-up truck, fell _into_ the pick-up truck, rummaged around to pick up her garbage-smelling cat and was then dropped off in the middle of an intersection where Seto Kaiba's limo happened to be driving. The driver hit his brakes too hard, Kaiba fell forward and got knocked out on his own dashboard. SecretQuill offered not to tell anyone if Kaiba spent a day here. Poor guy. We'll protect him.

*Ray*: At least she's not cooing over me anymore.

*Tyson*: ^grins wickedly^ I wouldn't be so sure. 

*Ray*: (groans) What did you do?

*Tyson*: I told her you like her. I suppose she only likes the hard to get. Kind of like Mariah and you.

*Mariah*: (blushing) And what's that supposed to mean? (grabs a bunch of carrots)

*Tyson*: (dodging carrots) Ahhh! Stop! Please!

*Scarlet*: Meow!

*SecretQuill*: (sighs) I need to get rid of some of my muses. Overloading is way too overrated.

*Tyson*: (points at SecretQuill) You! Get rid of you!

*SecretQuill*: I can't do that!

*Max*: You could try.

*SecretQuill*: You're out! And so are you Tyson. And you Kenny, and that laptop of yours. And you too Mariah with your selfish cooking ways. And you too Scarlet: I don't need to smell like a garbage can. And you too Kai: I don't like your attitude. Kay, who does that leave? Oh yes, an unconscious Seto Kaiba and Ray. Hehe…

*Ray*: (a little desperately) Could you get muses from other teams? You know, more people?

*SecretQuill*: I'm trying to _get rid_ of people here, Ray. You're not helping me. Okay, EVERYONE OUT! 'Cept for you, Ray darling.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 8: Snow Adventures Part 2

__

Hey Mariah! Lee thought sarcastically, _I'm outside and I feel perfectly fine now. Guess I didn't need all that rest after all._

He walked down to the local BBA office to get some information on how the Beginners would be paired up. 

Inside there was only one desk clerk and one girl patiently waiting for the clerk to find something for her. 

It was Colby.

__

Great! He thought, turning around to leave immediately. They still hadn't seen or heard him come in.

He heard the attendant ask,

"What was the name again?"

"Ray Kon. He's a member of the Bladebreakers."

As much as Lee had wanted never to talk to or see Colby again, he couldn't quell the anger that had suddenly rose inside him. He spun around and asked,

"What do you want with Ray?"

She jumped in surprise,

"Lee! I thought you were sick. Mariah said you were supposed to sleep all day."

"I suppose she told you that when she and Mobekai went out?"

"Yes, she did in fact. Why are you outside making yourself sicker?"

"I'm not sick. I had a fever and I'd rather rot and die than sit in a bed with nothing else to do. You still never answered my original question." He had a feeling she was actually trying to avoid it.

"Ma'am?" the desk clerk handed her a bunch of papers, "Here you go."

"She doesn't have any authorization to receive those!" Lee jumped forward. He could bet every one of them had nasty details about Ray and Driger.

"Actually, I do." She held up a pink slip of paper, "Trish got them from an exclusive friend of ours."

"Exclusive?" Lee asked, "That's crap! You can't just walk in and receive information like that."

"It's none of your business what I can and can't do," she brushed past him.

"It darn well is. Ray's my friend, even if we don't exactly see eye to eye. I _will _tell him what you just did."

She stopped and turned around slowly,

"I'll tell Mariah you were out today if you tell."

"I'm so scared," Lee snapped sarcastically, "Tell Kevin and Gary while you're at it."

"AND…!" She raised her voice, "I can guarantee you Driger if you don't tell."

"Oh, so now you're going to resort to stealing? Even that's a little beneath you, don't you-"

"I won't have to steal anything. I have an exact replica of Driger. It'll be your, bit-beast and everything. Of course, I could always get you the real thing. It _is_ what you've always wanted, isn't it Lee?

He stared, 

"How did you know that?"

"Ray isn't the only person we keep tabs on, you know. Even if you do tell, we know stuff you'll only dream about."

"You're exactly right, Colby. I always thought Driger belonged to me. But I would never sell Ray short for it. You can keep your replica."

"Good. I never really wanted to give it to you in the first place."

"You probably don't even have a replica," Lee shook his head.

"Oh, we do," she smirked in satisfaction, "You're team is going down, Lee. And we plan on dragging the All Stars and the Bladebreakers with you."

"I could get you disqualified for all this. It's illegal."

"There's nothing illegal about knowing your competition."

"Yeah, but you're not using it for data. You're using it for blackmail!"

"This is a Beyblade tournament, Lee. No one's ever going to play fair."

She closed the door on his outraged face.

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"It's so beautiful up here!" Danika gazed out upon the landscape. She and Ray were in the lift making their way up again. 

"The snow is always beautiful if you're not around it that often." Ray nodded in agreement.

"Are you not around it that often?" She asked, punching him lightly.

"Well, after Russia, I suppose no temperature could faze me." 

Danika turned her body so she could face him,

"Why did you leave the White Tigers, Ray?"

Ray looked a little surprised,

"How did you know I used to belong to the White Tigers?"

"We do research, too, you know."

"I was the strongest on my team, but I knew there had to be stronger bit-beasts out there. I set out to find them, and when I did, I decided to not return."

"You mean when you found the Bladebreakers?"

"Well, I found Tyson, Kenny, and Max first. Kai joined later only on the terms of being captain."

"Still, you could have been captain of the White Tigers!"

"I wouldn't have won the World Tournament and I don't think the Bladebreakers would have either. Besides, they _are_ my friends."

"But the White Tigers are your friends too, aren't they?"

"Yeah, and they always will be, but now I'm also friends with the Bladebreakers."

"Why do you always have to be such a sweetheart?"

Ray reached over to smash a snowball in her face. She shrieked and lifted her arms.

"Am I still a sweetheart?" He laughed.

"No! You're the devil!" She tried pushing his muscular arm toward his face but she barely even moved it. Ray laughed and pushed her arm toward her face.

"Where'd you get that?"

"I stashed it before we left," he rolled it in his palms to reshape it, and again tried to smash it in her face.

She stuck her elbow out so he couldn't reach her and laughed as he tried to go around her,

"Stop being so childish!"

"It's just a snowball!"

"I'll only let you do it if I'm armed too."

"Why should I give you a weapon to use on me?"

"Cause that would only be fair."

He tried going under her arm, but she moved her elbow down quickly and hit him over the top of the head.

"Violent child!" He teased, lifting her hair up to two points. 

"Are you mocking me?" She pulled his hair up, "I may have devil horns right now, but you still have a ponytail."

"It's tradition. I've never cut my hair," he grinned.

"Why don't the rest of the White Tigers have long hair, then?" She wondered curiously.

"They do. Haven't you seen Kevin and Mariah's hair lately?"

"Yes, but it's not as long as yours."

"Well, I guess I must be special." 

He finally shoved the already melting snowball in her hair. She reached out and tickled him under his arms as he did so.

He yanked his hand back instantly.

"HA!" She pointed triumphantly, "You're ticklish! Now I have something to use against you!"

He put his hands up as she began to tickle him in the stomach and on his back,

"No! Stop! Danika, I …swear..haha..stop!"

She had just adjusted her body to a more comfortable position, but the lift suddenly stopped and she slid forward a few inches as she did so.

"Danika, stop!" Ray sat up instantly, "You'll fall-"

"Huh?" She turned around in the seat, but her legs now dangled off the lift and when the lift began to move again, she jerked forward in surprise. Her giggles suddenly turned to a scream.

"_Danika_!" He grabbed her wrist and she grabbed the edge of the seat instinctively.

Her feet dangled below her, above the heads of a gathering group of people noticing her position. She did not have the arm strength to lift her entire body up.

She could feel her hands sweating and slipping the entire way up. Her arms were so stiff she was afraid she would dismember herself. Ray tried pulling her arms up so she could use her legs to lift her body up with the foot railing, but each time he did so, the lift rocked backwards and he loosened his grip a bit in fear of tumbling the entire lift backwards.

"Just hold on for a minute…" He calmly told her as the lift rocked backward and forward slowly, "It'll stop soon."

He noticed that a bunch of skiers were shouting, "Let her go! We'll catch her!"

__

Yeah, right! He thought frantically.

The lift eventually stopped. He turned his head a fraction of an inch and saw a bunch of tiny people in the distance making their way up. They must have been informed of the situation.

He lifted his feet up, stuck them under his body and twisted sideways. His arms were pulled up a few inches because of the shift in position, so Danika was pulled upward. She kicked her legs up as far as she could, but she still needed a few more inches to put her feet on the foot railing. He pulled backwards, leaning his body against the side of the lift. She adjusted her position quickly, grabbing at his upper arm. It was just enough. She pulled her left foot onto the foot railing. She grabbed the backboard of the lift to push herself in. Ray locked the restraint back in place. She took deep breaths next to him.

The skiers below were still watching, though some had gone off to tell the operator that they could start the lift again. 

Ray watched her quietly until the lift started moving slowly once again,

"Are you all right?"

"I…think so."

There was a few moments of silence I which she rubbed the stress out of her hands. Then she spoke really quietly,

"If you hadn't caught me, I might be down there in a stretcher," she stared at him in wonder, "Thanks, Ray."

He colored a bit, a little embarrassed,

"I don't think I did that much."

"Of course you did! I mean, you could have just let me go and then you wouldn't have had to worry about me in the match, huh?"

"Danika! I would _never_ do that!"

"So…does this mean you're my friend? I mean, I really like hanging around you."

"Yeah, Danika. Of course I'm your friend. You can hang around anytime you want."

He lifted her hair once again into little devil's horns and she laughed.

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"An old lady was getting ready to die. Before she died, she wanted to give her inheritance to her only son, but she had trouble reaching him. She went out to her garden and took down her scarecrow. Soon, a bunch of crows came flocking and she begged the strongest and fastest crow to go fetch her son. He went on his way and she began to clean the house, pay off debts, and sew blankets for her casket. The parishioner stopped by her house one day and asked to write her will. When she told him she wanted all her money and belongings to go to his son, he asked, "Are you sure you want to do that?" "Yes, I am positive." "And if you're son doesn't want it?" "Then I will give it to the church." The crow soon returned, but with no letter in his hand. The old lady hoped he was on his way. She sat patiently in bed and waited and waited. The parishioner came by later that week and asked if she wanted to be buried in the county graveyard. "No," she replied, "I want to be buried next to my husband." He left with her finished will and she continued to wait. She waited and waited some more for her son to return. The parishioner stopped by the following Sunday and found her dead in the rocking chair, still waiting patiently for her son. He sighed to himself, went to her drawer and took out the rest of her money and inheritances, "I should have told her that her son was already dead." He buried her next to her husband like she asked and next to her son, who died of a heart attack." Mobekai finished.

"Oh, that's sad." Mariah clutched her jacket closer to her, "I just love hearing your stories."

"I'll just tell you more, then," he smiled.

"They're fascinating."

Instead of picking her feet up and stepping crunchily in the high deeply packed snow, trudged her foot right through the substance, creating one long straight line.

They'd been walking like this for at least an hour. Mobekai kept her company with his tales and fables. Occasionally, she'd get bored and they would have snowball fights.

"If you could pick one place to go in the world, where would it be?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"How about Stars?"

"Orion's Belt." She replied instantly.

"Papaya?"

"Apples."

"Blue."

"Pink."

"How about weather?"

"Hot."

"Same." He laughed.

She began running forward, jumping quickly so her feet wouldn't stick into the snow,

"C'mon, Mobekai! The rushing blood warms your body."

He jumped forward to catch up with her. He tried to grab her, but she flitted out of the way and it soon became a cat and mouse game, with Mobekai trying to 'tag' her.

He finally grabbed her around the waist and pushed her down in the snow. She turned around, breathing heavily,

"You win! You win!"

"Just like that?"

"Yep."

"All right, then."

"Look, Mobekai!" she suddenly lifted her head, "Look! It's the small village they told us to head to! You can see the stop!"

She got to her feet instantly, knocking Mobekai to the ground,

"C'mon, lets go!"

"Wait…Mariah! What village? We're supposed to head to Bern. They were talking about Bern. It must be south of here. _Mariah!"_

Mariah began running. She could see a tiny village in the distance. There was someone watching them from the edge of town. She ran excitedly until she could see the man's face. She could hear Mobekai shouting behind her, but as she reached the edge of this town and could see the man, she noticed that he looked remarkably like…Ray?

She stopped in surprise and blinked. The village disappeared. 

Mobekai appeared at her side, panting,

"_What_ village?"

"It was my imagination," she whispered, "There was no village, there was no…" she'd been about to say Ray but she stopped. 

"I think we're heading the wrong way," he watched her, "I think we need to head south a bit. Bern's huge. We should be able to see it from miles away."

"Are we going to Bern? I thought he said we were just supposed to end at the next village."

"He was talking about a stopping place right outside Bern. I've seen it before. Are you all right, Mariah?"

"I'm going crazy…I must be. Do you think I'm going crazy, Mobekai?"

"No," he put his arm around her shoulders to warm her up, "I just think the chill is getting to you. It's getting late and I know that blizzards tend to set in at night. We should go…this way I think." 

He turned her around halfway. He kept her body in front of his at all times so the wind would be more bearable. The warmth from his coat reminded her just how cold she was. She could barely feel her fingers and she was sure her face was blue.

"We'll make it there before night, right, Mobekai?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, we'll try."

"Mobekai?"

He looked up.

"Thank you. I really had fun today."

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Kai pushed heavily off the jump and landed with quite an impact in the untouched snow. He ran quickly through the trees and around some bushes in a heavily secluded area of the ski lift. 

Skiing was a great idea as it seemed like the perfect way to let go of nerves and Kai was definitely feeling very nervous about the upcoming tournament. He was having the same dreams again. Dreams about Boris, Voltaire, and for some reason, Tala kept coming to mind. And then there was also the weird dreams where he kept getting trapped and the only way out was a small orange box, but he could never reach it in time.

He'd only had close brush-ins with animals, such as small badgers and bunnys as he tried to see his way deeper into the woods. 

He loved the ski jumps especially though as it was a little different from the usual monotony of dodging rocks and trees down the same slope.

Something darted out in front of him and his first thought was that it was a big animal. He turned casually to avoid it, but it scampered in front of his path once again and he began to dig his ski poles into the snow to avoid hitting it. As he got closer, he saw it wasn't a large animal, but a person.

He dug quickly into the snow and turned sharply, piling snow into the air. He barely brushed right past her,

"I could've hit you!"

"I was trying to get your attention." Trish snapped.

"Well, you have it! You don't just walk out in the middle of a ski path!" He dug his poles into the ground and took off his cap, "What do you want?"

"I want to know something and I'm not going to let you leave until you give me an answer."

"Fine. Goodbye," he was about to push off again, but she grabbed his wrist,

"C'mon, Kai! It's been bugging me!"

He stopped and sighed,

"I don't think I know anything you don't already know. But sure, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you chose the Bladebreakers over the Demolition Boys?"

"I _hate_ the Demolition Boys. What kind of question is that?"

"Okay, let me rephrase that: Why did you choose to be with Dranzer and the Bladebreakers over Black Dranzer?"

"I didn't."

She stared,

"What?"

"I didn't. I still love Black Dranzer, but I hate it at the same time. And here's the only reason why: My grandfather gave it to me so he could use me to illegally take everyone else's bit-beasts. It made me heartless. But believe me, it felt good to have a lot of power."

"But how could you just give it up like that?" She stared at him.

"Why do you want to know all this so badly? I really don't want to talk about this subject."

"Well _I _do."

"I don't give a crap what you want to talk about. Can I leave now?"

"No."

"You can't barricade me."

"I can. If you try and get through you'll just have to kill me and then you won't ever have to worry about it again cause you won't be able to Beyblade."

"You're sick," he narrowed his eyes, "All right then, I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Start talking."

"I'll take my time if you don't mind. I gave up Black Dranzer because I decided I didn't like having all that power for the wrong reasons. I was just a pawn in their sick little game. Before I had Black Dranzer, I thought I was just traveling with the Bladebreakers for the sake of being their captain. I thought they were pitiful. But they still believed I was their friend and even after I told Tyson personally that I wanted Dragoon, he never gave up trying to persuade me back to the Bladebreakers. I sought to take away from them the one thing they loved the most. I almost lost my life before I saw what I had resorted to doing. I may not have Black Dranzer, though I can still feel it's power in my head, but I feel a lot more free than I've ever felt before."

Halfway during his little mini-speech, she had turned to stare hard at the ground.

"No sarcastic comment?" he asked.

She shook her head,

"No, that's all I wanted to know."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you."

"Is that why you're not looking up?"

She looked up and he could see her eyes burning with anger. He opened his mouth in surprise.

"What's your problem?"

"Nothing," she stepped aside, "You can go."

"What's wrong, Trish?" He demanded.

"GO!" She shouted a little unnessecarily.

He pushed off after looking at her steely blue eyes. _What was she trying to hide?_ _And why had she looked so angry to hear something that pained him so much to say?_

Why had she even wanted to know all that in the first place? Not even the Bladebreakers had asked him such intimate details about Black Dranzer and Dranzer.

And was it somehow connected with the particular dreams he'd been having? He was determined to find out.

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"Hey, chief!" Max and Ray walked into the warmer room. 

Ray jumped in front of the heater,

"Man, it's cold out there."

"But beautiful…" Max added cheerily.

"Someone came to the room earlier, Ray, and asked for you."

"Really? Did they say who they were?" Ray asked.

"No. He just said he'd be back later. It was an older chinese man."

Ray froze,

"Was he thin? And slightly taller than me?"

"Yes! But how did you…"

"Next time he comes around, Kenny, tell him I'm not here."

"Why would he say that?" Max asked.

"I met him on the train and I don't like him at all. I don't think we should get involved with anything he has to offer."

"Stop, Ray! You're starting to scare me!" Kenny shivered.

"BOOooo!" Dizzi replied in a distant voice.

"Don't do that, Dizzi!" Kenny frowned.

"Oh, lighten up. The most you probably need to worry about this man is that he looks creepy and he's in charge of a competitive team. If you want to see something scary, go check out the Dark Bladers," Dizzi informed.

Tyson suddenly pulled the door open and upon hearing the last bit of conversation, straightened immediately,

"What are we talking about? Cause if it involves creepy weirdo's in masks, then I'm out of here."

"Where in the world have you been?" Kenny turned, "What happened between you and Michael?"

"Nothing. I got bored with skiing and got a snow board instead, but the ski lift kept stopping, so I only went down the slope once."

"We should probably go get something to eat before the battle starts." Max put his coat back on again.

"That's what I need! Food!" Tyson rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"You always need food, Tyson," said Ray.

"Where is Kai?" Kenny yanked frantically on his own hair, "He better show up at the stadium! Mr. Dickinson better be at the stadium! Why does everyone always disappear right before a battle?!"

"Calm down, Kenny. It's just one match. They'll be there, don't worry!" Tyson jumped for the door, "Now, I'm up for a little sushi! Who's coming with me?"

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"Where's Mariah?" Lee looked up as Kevin and Gary entered the room. Gary shrugged,

"Probably still out with Mobekai. I haven't seen her around."

"It's late. She should be back by now."

"Ah, leave her alone. She'll come back," Kevin grabbed his blade and began to make slight adjustments before ripping it in the corner of the room.

"I don't think it's like her to be out this late. And I don't trust Mobekai."

"Well, you can't exactly go looking for them, can you?"

Lee paused and grabbed his jacket and blade before heading for the door.

"Lee? Lee, you can't go out! You're sick! Lee!" Kevin grabbed his spinning blade and tried to run after him, but Gary grabbed his shoulders,

"Let him do it. She is his sister after all."

"Yeah, he still needs to loosen up though."

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Mariah shivered violently under his arms. Mobekai began to worry. He couldn't give her his own jacket because he only had a short sleeve on underneath, but her jacket was no less thicker than a regular shirt and her shoulders were beginning to feel like ice. He'd already begun to worry when she'd started running for the middle of nowhere claiming she could see a village. Hallucinations were never a good sign. He hoped he could provide enough warmth to get them to Bern.

He could see it in the distance…the overwhelmingly large city, but he didn't dare tell Mariah, who could barely stand up straight. He really didn't want her to try running. 

She stopped suddenly.

"Mariah?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders to look in her golden eyes,

"Mariah? Are you all right?"

She looked up at him faintly and twisted her head curiously,

"Are we in Bern yet?"

She fell down for lack of energy.

"No! Mariah, you have to get up! We're almost there! C'mon!"

"No!" She tried swapping his hand away, "I want to sleep! I want to rest for a minute, Mobekai."

"Okay, fine! We'll rest, but you can't sleep, Mariah! You can't sleep now! You'll be able to sleep all you want when we get there!"

"I can't walk anymore, Mobekai," she looked up, "My legs hurt so much right now. I'll just wait here. You go and get someone to come back."

"No, I won't leave you. I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"Oh, no, please don't! You're cold and weak too! You could never carry me in your condition. Just come back."

"You'll fall asleep."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"_I'm_ _not going to leave you here, _Mariah!"

He got down on his knees in front of her,

"Now get on my back!"

"Mobekai-"

"Mariah, get on my back! We're almost there."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him around the waist with her legs.

He struggled a bit. She was right: she was a little harder to carry at the moment. He could feel the sweat come down his face even in the wind and could feel his legs burn as he straightened.

"Mobekai? Are you all right? I don't want you to carry me. You'll only strain yourself even further than you need to!"

"No, it's all right, Mariah." 

He began to walk forward in the snow, too stubborn to tell her it did hurt. He left the snowmobile helmets behind as he did so. They were just a burden now and he hoped they could reach the city limits before they would've had to use them.

The wind and the snow were a lot colder now, because the sun was setting. The brilliant lights from the city were already on. He began to sing softly under his breath:

__

"

The wind will blow through the willows, the river will flow 

and trees will sway.

Each day the forest grew stronger and the furry inhabitants rejoiced, for nothing could destroy such a beautiful place.

But time began to pass, the owl got a little wiser and the coyote began to howl,

'Where has nature gone? Oh, where has the nature gone?

The trees are now falling, the waters are slowly dying and it's getting hard to breathe, 

So tell me now, where has nature gone?'

And the human and his dogs sing into the trees,

'I need it now for my clothes and my things.'

The rabbit begins to burrow for almost all nature is lost,

But once in a while under the glory of the moon, you'll hear the coyote howl again,

'Where has nature gone? Oh, where has the nature gone?'

"

Mariah loosened her grip around his neck and rested her head on his shoulders,

"I'm not too heavy, am I, Mobekai?" She asked. Her breath tickled a bit against his neck.

"No, you're fine, Mariah."

He was almost there. He passed a few farms along the outside edge and continued making his way in until the space between the buildings gradually lessened to nothing. He began to look for a place that said _Johnny's Snowmobile._ About 2 miles into the most rural part of town he saw it. Behind him, Mariah whispered,

"I see buildings, Mobekai."

"We're here, Mariah. You'll be all right."

He walked up to the shop and a man greeted them instantly,

"Can I get you a snowmobile?"

"Actually, we just came from the shop up on the mountain. Our snowmobile broke down and it's about north of here."

"I'm terribly sorry about that," he saw Mariah on his back, "Do you need help? Is there anything I can get you?"

"Could you get me something hot?" He asked, a little breathlessly.

"Yes, anything!" He disappeared in the back.

Mobekai dropped to his knees. Mariah tried getting off, but she fell off his back instead and hit the ground a little hard,

"Ouch," she rubbed her head

"I'm sorry," he turned around and grabbed her hand apologetically, "I can get you to your hotel room if you want me to."

"That's fine. I'll just walk myself."

"I'm still coming with you. You need to stay warm and drink some water. I think you're sick, Mariah."

"I'm not sick. Lee's sick. I'm just tired, that's all."

"You were hallucinating, Mariah. I think you're sick."

The man returned with some blankets and hot chocolate. As Mobekai drank, he could feel the warmth spread from his mouth to his toes. It was relaxing.

"Here's a refund," the man handed over some money, "Again, I'm terribly sorry about that. Do you need a ride?"

"Could you? To the Alpine Plaza Hotel?"

"Of course, sir. This way…"

Mobekai helped Mariah to her feet,

"Mobekai, I'm okay, really!"

"Just let me help you get to your hotel and if you really don't want me to bug you after that I won't."

"Why do you have to be so sweet?"

"Anything for you," he smiled.

She blushed a bit, if it was even possible to see it under her cold rosy cheeks.

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Final Note: I wonder why I make everyone get sick? Oh, well; it draws sympathy for the characters. The next chapter contains the match against the Tall Boys-I drew it out a bit, so it should be enjoyable. Thanks for reading and please continue to review!


	9. Tall Tale Battles, Mysterious Packs, and...

Nine reviews and Eight reviewers! wow, wow! Coolios, then! Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Zidane: You mean the couples sound like they're being used? Yeah, they kind of do. But I've never actually been in a relationship so I'm not really sure how to act in one. That's my bad.

Pisces Panda: Awww…you fell in love with him. How sweet! You'll learn why Trish was angry in chapter ten and why she was sad…? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. (;

Kuroi-Neko: Awww…yea! You think my story is great! Thanks!

Kaz: Yeah, she is lucky isn't she? *sighs* It's not fair-she gets Mobekai AND Ray. Thanks for reviewing again!

Hikari-tenshi: I know. We're all jealous of Mariah. Well, almost all of us. They are sweet, aren't they? Especially Ray-well, he'll get even sweeter. Thanks very much for reviewing-here's the next chappie!

Galux Kitty: That's a shame that you hate Mobekai that much. But you have your reasons. Normally, I'd be pleased if you wanted to take one of my OC's, but for Mobekai's safety, I think I'll keep him. J 

Starwave: Oh, thanks for telling me about Draciel! I was afraid no one would say anything. And now you can see how Lee reacts~thanks very much for reviewing!

neko-neko: Wow! You like Mobekai/Mariah better than R/M? Ahh-What have I done!? J/K, I guess I have his personality down perfect then. J Sorry it won't work out in the end. Oops! I guess I did forget to tell you what Mobekai looked like. I'll clarify for everyone: 

Mobekai has slightly tanner skin than any of the other original characters, because he grew up in India. He has a few freckles scattered right underneath his eyes, which are sky blue. His hair is dark brown to a light black and it isn't long, but it hangs over his forehead. (~yeah, that's sexy!~at least to me it is) He usually wears baggy brown pants-the kind with the pockets on the sides and t-shirts. His bit-character is the White Falcon and his attack is Talon Claw Strike.

Is that what you wanted? Thanks for reviewing twice-that's great!

****

Cool Quotes: 

"Are you sure you can drive? You don't have your license!"-Tyson

"Sure I do!" -Tyson's grandfather

"_Grandpa_!! That's a _fishing_ license!" -Tyson

As seen in the episode '_First Strike_'

****

Authors Note:

~IMPORTANT~

There's been a couple of changes in pairings. If you saw the summary, you'll notice that I now just have Max/Emily and not Max?/Emily/Kenny?. I was going to do a love triangle but I have found out the hard way that it is utterly impossible to write Kenny and Emily. There's just no chemistry between the two. So I admit it: I'm a nutter for Max/Emily.

Also, I told someone that there would be a little ditto between Johnny and Frankie (from Spintencity) and I was wrong. Well, in a good way wrong. There won't be any romance between the two, but Johnny, Olliver and the rest of the Majestics are going to play a much bigger part later. There'll be romance between Olliver and an OC yet to be introduced and Johnny will be paired up twice. 

I'm going to post the Wild Cheetah's profiles on my author page so if you want to know in fuller detail what the rest of them look like and such, you can check it out. Thanks for reading/reviewing!

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 9: Tall Tale Battles, Mysterious Packs, and Fat Brown Mice

__

Knock. Knock.

Mobekai opened the door slowly and Mariah followed closely behind. The room was warm and comforting.

"I don't think anyone's here."

"They're at the match, probably." She croaked and noticed Lee and Kevin's blades were missing. "If we head out now, we could still see it probably."

"I don't think so. You should stay here, Mariah. You really don't look so good."

"I'm fine enough. I want to see them battle."

"How about if I tell you later if they've won or not?"

"I'd really like to go see it in person, though!"

"We'll never make it in time anyway. I'll stay here and watch it with you."

"You'll catch my cold if you stay here, Mobekai."

"You want to stay alone then?" he asked.

"Noo..ooo," she replied a little hesitantly, "I'd really just like to go to the match."

"In the snow? Are you up to it, Mariah? You were hallucinating out there. I'm really concerned about your health."

"That's nice of you, Mobekai…but-"

"Yes?"

"Oh, it's so unfair!" She hit the bed angrily, "I want to be there!"

"I'm not stopping you from going, Mariah," Mobekai responded quietly, "You can go if you want. I don't have any say in the matter. I just don't think you can do it yourself."

He was right, of course. She felt really weak and tired. She _could _go. But she wasn't going to. She decided to just watch it from the hotel room.

She sighed, extremely upset,

"Go to the match, Mobekai."

"Are you sure?" he looked a little nervous leaving her by herself.

"Yeah…" she replied a little reluctantly, "I'm fine. I'll be okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yes. Maybe I'll be better then."

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"Mr. Dickinson! You're here!" Kenny sighed, "Oh, good, I was starting to worry."

"Of course I'm here! I did promise, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Max sat down.

Mr. Dickinson stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around,

"We're missing a member. Where's Kai?"

"Here," Kai walked in at that moment, "Sorry, I got a little…caught up on the slopes."

"Finally!" Tyson put his gloves on, "Let's get this show on the road already! I want to battle!"

"Not if Ray and Max win both rounds," Kenny warned.

"Which we will," Ray added confidently.

"We all hope you will," Kenny opened the door and gazed into the stadium, "Max, you're up first against André. His yak power is strong and he likes to toy, so stay in defense position for a while."

"Got it," Max headed for the door, "And when he gets worn out I attack. I'm ready, chief."

"Good. Let's go."

"_Welcome_ to the third match of the Eastern European Preliminaries! The Bladebreakers have already won one match and the Tall Boys just won their first! But who will win the next match? Up first from the Tall Boys is André. His yak is pretty strong and he's improved since the Asian Tournament. Max is even stronger with his bit-beast Draciel and you should expect serious improvements with his attacks as well. He started off their last match against the Bladehunters and it looks like they've put him up first again. Get ready to cheer on your favorite players!" The Bladebreakers heard AJ Topper call excitedly to the cheering crowd as they entered the stadium.

"Remember Max, André likes to toy around. Stay in defense position until I tell you otherwise," Kenny warned Max.

"C'mon, chief. This'll be as easy as the Bladehunters." Max gave him a thumbs up and moved toward the Beyblade stadium. 

"On your marks!" AJ called.

Max positioned his launcher, quickly snapping Draciel into place.

"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"

"AAAarrrgh!" André ripped hard, pulling his arm up and letting his blade go.

Max ripped his rip chord back and watched…as Draciel fell to the ground, without having spun once. _He hadn't attached him properly._

"Uh oh…Looks like Max is having trouble getting his blade onto the field." AJ announced ominously.

"Why don't you just shut up!?" Tyson yelled at the announcer.

"What the heck are you doing, Max?!" Kenny yelled

"I've got it under control!" Max snapped, snatching up his blade, attaching Draciel firmly and letting his frustration come out as he ripped it.

He did exactly as Kenny had wanted him to and circled the stadium, but so did Andre. 

He did it for a while too.

"Umm….it looks like no ones going to try and make the first move. They're waiting to see what their opponent will do!" AJ announced, gripping the railing.

"KENNY!" Max yelled anxiously, "LET ME ATTACK!"

"No!" Kenny shouted, "Your defense is stronger! Just wait!"

André grinned evilly,

"Yak Power! ATTACK NOW!"

"KENNY!" Max called again as Andre' blade charged right for his. He jumped Draciel out of the way, but Andre' blade only followed, knocking Max back into the center of the bowl.

"ATTACK AGAIN!" Andre yelled victoriously.

"Max, get out of the way!" Kenny called.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm trying that!" Max called back nervously as André's blade began to beat down on his own. He dodged quickly out of the way.

"ATTACK NOW!" Kenny shouted, "ATTACK NOW, MAX!"

"DRACIEL, ATTACK!" Max put all his heart into that command and hoped his plan would work. He rolled up the Beystadium, with André's blade following him closely, but at the last minute Andre' blade paused a little bit. Andre' seemed confused…or he was waiting to see what Max would do.

Max' blade jumped into the air,

__

Pile Drive him out of there, Draciel, Max thought vigorously.

Draciel came down hard on Andre' blade once…twice…three times, but Andre' blade kept spinning.

"Final attack, yak! Finish off Draciel!" Andre called.

Andre' blade moved to attack Max', but Draciel dodged him without any effort and Max shouted,

"My defense is much stronger than your attacks. And now behold, the awesome power of my Draciel! Draciel, metal ball defense!"

Andre' blade began to bear down on Max', but Draciel emerged and only wore his yak power down with each attack Andre forced on it.

Andre yelled in frustration and pulled his blade back,

"Yak, attack now!"

"Max, don't attack!" Kenny called enthusiastically, "You're doing fine!"

Max could see Andre' blade slowing down with each attack it forced on Draciel, who had yet to move an inch, quite an impenetrable force.

"That's it Draciel!" Max grinned excitedly.

Andre backed off for the third time and Max decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. Draciel was his. Besides, when he played the Demolition Boys, the Majestic's and the All Stars, he might not have Kenny to back him up.

"Draciel, attack now!"

"No, Max!" Kenny shouted, "Not now!"

"Max, you can't attack a yak! Think about it!" Kai called for the first time.

Max suddenly saw his fatal flaw and realized why Kenny had put him against Andre. Tyson was absolutely right. The whole point of having yak power was that it was very hard to attack and Max had really strong defense. Kenny had wanted Max to wear Andre down before attacking, but Max was still really weak right now and his attack only weakened his own blade.

Andre grinned and lifted a fist,

"This is it! Yak power, attack now!"

"No!" Max clenched his fists as Andre' blade hit Max' once more. Max' blade was knocked out of the bowl where it eventually stopped spinning.

He fell to his knees in frustration and shame. He picked Draciel up slowly and walked back to the others,

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Kenny. I should have listened."

"Yes, you should have!" Kenny fumed, "If Ray doesn't win this match, we're out for good! We're out for good!"

"No, we're not," Kai shook his head, "We'll just have to play the beginners though."

"It's all up to you, Ray!" Kenny pleaded in his face.

Ray's eyes widened,

"Chill, chief. I can handle this."

"Andre from the Tall Boys wins the first match against the Bladebreakers! Up next from the Tall Boys is Waylan and defending the Bladebreakers is Ray with his bit-beast Driger! This is the first time Ray has stepped up to the stadium in this tournament and with his awesome new rip chord and improved statistics, we can only hope he can manage a win for their team or they're back to playing with the beginners!"

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Off to the side of the battle, the Wild Cheetahs watched anxiously. Danika watched Ray approach the stadium. AJ Topper shouted once more,

"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"

"C'mon Ray…" she whispered.

They ripped their blades furiously. Ray wiped his hand forward,

"Driger, attack now!"

"Heat power!" Waylan shouted, "Attack Driger!"

Waylan's blade never even touched Ray's blade as Driger dodged out of the way, but something red began to emit from Waylan's blade.

Danika began to feel really sweaty and anxious. It was hot and she knew Waylan must have the power of heat.

"Hey guys. What's going on?"

She turned and saw him approach their seats,

"Mobekai!" Trish hissed, "Where in the world have you been?"

He colored a bit and looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed,

"I'm sorry, Trish."

"You were with Mariah still, weren't you? Good Grief, Mobekai, if you let yourself get too emotional, you'll never be able to face her in battle! Max just got defeated. If Ray doesn't pull a win, the Bladebreakers will be facing the Beginners."

"That's good, right?" Kira asked.

"Yes," Trish smirked, "We want the Bladebreakers to lose very much."

Danika only watched as Ray began to sweat heavily, even with all the supporting cheers of his teammates. _It's affecting his blade. If he can't concentrate, he'll lose control of his blade. But Waylan's blade can't spin forever. He's just got to wait till it wears down and then attack. I know you can do this, Ray. You just have to hang on._

As much as Trish was keen on having the Bladebreakers lose, Danika wanted them to win very much. She didn't want to face them as losers, but as victorious winners. Only then could she know that she could beat him because she was more powerful. 

Near to her, a man also sat and watched the battle, his eyes focusing only on Ray and Driger. He whispered quietly to himself,

"I've got you exactly where I want you. The power of your Driger will soon be mine. If only you knew…you could be so much stronger. If only you knew…"

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"Is it getting hot in here, Brad, or is that just me?" AJ asked his partner.

"That's definitely not just you. Look at Ray and Waylan sweat down there! But I'm sure Waylan's pretty comfortable with the heat because it's his blade that's emitting these terrible heat rays. Waylan uses the power of heat to intimidate and weaken the enemy. Speaking of rays, Ray isn't taking the heat very well, which is a definite advantage for the Tall Boys. If he pulls off a win, it's all over for the Bladebreakers." Brad Vest commentated.

"C'mon, Ray!" Tyson called behind him, "You can do this!"

Ray could feel the pressure mounting as he continued to just avoid Waylan's blade. He knew he had to keep his heart on the battle and not on the sweat running down his back. If he could continue to keep his blade in full power and away from Waylan's blade, he could easily wear down Waylan's blade. After all, his blade was built for endurance, something Kenny had told him would come in handy in this battle.

And Waylan wasn't exactly immune from the heat his own blade was emitting, though he probably could stand it pretty well. Waylan's blade jumped off the edge of the beystadium and disappeared into the pile of humidity and smoke above them. Ray had a feeling he was going to try and pile drive him like he'd seen Max do. He must have thought the covering of heat and moisture above the stadium would provide good coverage for a surprise attack. The stadium was completely silent and it wasn't from suspense for the battle. Everyone was hot and sweaty. Ray could see attendants opening doors. Much of the audience had left to temporarily watch from outside.

Ray circled the stadium impatiently, waiting for any sign of Waylan's blade to emerge.

He watched his opponent's face and saw Waylan grinning evilly at him. 

Ray saw Waylan's eyes twitch slightly and he willfully moved Driger slightly to the left. As soon as he had done so, Waylan's blade came ripping through the steam to land where Driger had been moments before.

"WOW!" The announcer, Brad, leaned forward excitedly, "That was definitely a spectacular move on Ray's part!"

"Way… to…go…Ray!" Max called behind him. The heat made his comment sound like broken record clips.

The heat waves made it very difficult for Ray to see exactly where Driger was and he knew that wasn't good. He dropped to his knees and clutched the edge of the stadium in hopes of being able to concentrate closer to the ground. 

Waylan yelled in frustration and whipped behind Ray to attack.

"Driger!" Ray croaked. 

Driger began to run from Waylan's blade and Ray could feel energy start to surge within him as he watched his White Tiger give Waylan's blade a run. Waylan yelled again and got down on his knees as well,

"ATTACK HIM!"

Ray could see Waylan's faltering, could see the trembling in his hands and the sweat in his face. They were even. Waylan was just as exhausted as Ray, but Ray had the stronger blade and Waylan no longer had any advantage. Waylan's blade began to wear, using up it's energy chasing Ray. But Ray knew Driger had plenty of energy left and with the quicker defense moves Kenny had put in, Driger put plenty of space between him and opponent. Ray felt his heart soar and leaped to his feet with confidence,

"DRIGER! TIGER CLAW ATTACK NOW!"

Driger spun off the edge of the bowl and landed behind Waylan's blade. Driger emerged from the blade, roared once and pounced on Waylan's blade, knocking it out of the beystadium. Waylan pounded his hands on the floor in disappointment.

"YES!" Ray caught Driger in his hands. 

"Awesome!" Max pat him on the back when he returned.

"Thank heavens," Kenny let out a long held breath, "You had me worried there for a second, Ray."

"Yes!" Tyson grinned like there was no tomorrow, "I get to blade next. C'mon, Dragoon. Let's show those stuffy little nimrods how great you are!"

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"Go Tyson!" Mariah called desperately, as she watched from the T.V in their hotel room. The thought hadn't escaped her mind to just head over to the stadium and find Lee and the others, but Mobekai's worried face kept filling her mind and she decided it wasn't worth it. Her throat hurt really badly anyway and she liked watching from the comfort of the warm hotel room.

She watched hopefully as Tyson ripped his blade and shouted,

"GO DRAGOON! STORM ATTACK!"

He wasn't going to waste time.

His opponent, Tommy, used a leg launcher. He must have been a professional, the way he expertly lifted his leg and kicked down, launching his blade into the stadium, but Tyson was sooner prepared and his magnificent bit-beast appeared, sending storm clouds through the stadium. It completely wiped out the rest of the heat waves and many audience members had returned, eager to watch it all live.

"C'mon, Tyson," she whispered, "You can do this."

Tyson aimed Dragoon at Tommy, but Tommy dodged his attack.

"Fly, Dragoon!" Tyson yelled.

Dragoon flew up and disappeared in the clouds. This was the same thing Waylan had tried to use on Ray. The original pile drive idea had come from Max' battle with André.

Dragoon's attack wasn't drawn out though. He came down swift and hard on Tommy's homemade blade.

Mariah gripped the edge of the bed, her hands clammy and cold on the mattress. Her heart beat faster as Dragoon hit Tommy's blade and then…the electricity went out and the last thing Mariah saw was Tommy's surprised face.

She hit the T.V. angrily,

"No! Come back on, you stupid thing!" 

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Ray watched Tyson come down hard on Tommy's blade. It slowly stopped spinning and came to a rest in the beystadium. Tommy yelled in despair.

Up above, AJ took up the commentary once again,

"Well, it looks like the Bladebreakers have come back into the game with an amazing defeat after a rough start. That's not the last we'll see of the Tall Boys, though. They'll be facing the beginners in two days. But the Bladebreakers will be moving on to compete for another win in the final round of the advanced Eastern European Preliminaries tomorrow in Milan, Italy."

"Yes!" Kenny let out a breath of air next to him.

"I knew we would do it," Max got up behind him.

"Let's go get some cheese!" Tyson came back rubbing his stomach; "I'm hungry."

"Cheese?" Ray asked, "Isn't that an odd celebration food?"

"We're in Switzerland! We can't leave and not have some swiss cheese!"

"And I know the perfect little place!" Mr. Dickinson exclaimed, "It's called _The Mountain Buffet. _They have everything from swiss to mozzarella to green cheese."

"Green cheese sounds good," Max grinned.

"Hey, Bladebreakers!" Ray turned and saw the All Stars waving at them. 

Emily smiled,

"You played well."

"Yeah, we'll be seeing you in the dome later ourselves," Michael winked.

"Enjoy the winning streak while you can!" Steve called as they exited out the front doors with the rest of the crowd.

"Bye mom!" Max called after their retreating backs. Dr. Judy turned and waved back merrily.

"Oh, dear," Mr. Dickinson looked around and patted his pockets, "I seemed to have left the pack containing our stuff in the back room."

"I'll get it!" Ray voluntarily grabbed the key from Mr. Dickinson and dashed off eagerly.

"But…" Mr. Dickinson started, "Well, okay, then…"

Max was pushed aside quite roughly as the crowd passed on either side and rubbed his shoulder,

"Oww…Let's go wait outside."

It was nearly empty as Ray entered the hallways. They lead to the waiting rooms where teams would warm up before battling. The Tall Boys had gone already and nearly all the doors were locked.

He approached the locker room labeled The Bladebreakers and pushed the key in the door handle, but it was already open.

"Huh?" He knew it had been locked. When they'd left, he'd watched Mr. Dickinson lock it himself.

He pushed open the door and saw the pack Mr. Dickinson had been referring to, but it wasn't the only thing in the room besides the lockers, benches, tables and computer.

The skinny Chinese man with the shaved beard stood next to the pack, watching Ray closely.

Ray moved forward, but he didn't take his eyes off the man,

"You're not supposed to be in here."

"I don't suppose you are either. Where's Mr. Dickinson?"

"With the others. Like he should be."

"Oh really? His plan must have faltered I'm sure. He was supposed to meet me here. Will you tell him I'll contact him later then?"

"Yes." Ray answered curtly, a little surprised to know that Mr. Dickinson had planned to leave his pack and return for a 'chat' with the Chinese man. It must have had to do with another wild and crazy training idea Mr. Dickinson had, like the time he'd purposely made them miss the boat to Russia or the time he had the Majestic's challenge them to a battle for no reason. But Ray had no idea how this man could possibly play a part in helping them learn a lesson. Unless Mr. Dickinson was meeting with him for reasons other than for their team.

Ray reached out to grab the pack, but the Chinese man snatched it up quickly and frowned as Ray let his hand drop slowly, cautiously.

"Your reflexes aren't what they used to be. My dear boy, you have forgotten so much, haven't you?"

Ray's eyes burned a little bit with this insult,

"You're a little quick to judge. Can I please see that pack? It's what I came here to get and it's rightfully ours."

"Actually, this pack contains important information for Mr. Dickinson and I'm not sure I want to hand it to a messenger boy. Something could happen."

"I'm not a messenger and I don't feel like playing games. I want that pack."

"So demanding, Ray? She told me you were sweet and quiet. I guess I just brought out the better of that confident and dependable attitude of yours."

Ray's eyes widened in surprise,

"Why do you know so much about me? And how do you know my name?"

He'd finally voiced the question he'd been wanting to ask this strange man for ages.

"And still very very curious…" he continued again.

"Stop it!" Ray commanded, "Who do you think you are?"

He smirked slowly and let the pack drop to his side, stepping up closer to look Ray directly in the eyes. Ray could see every tiny detail, from the blue to the gray in his cold eyes. His hands began to tingle strangely,

"You _still_ don't recognize me? I suppose you were extremely young then anyway..."

He looked down at the pack in his hands and then back up at Ray, who stood patiently and defiantly. He pushed the pack into Ray's hands and spoke very quietly,

"Mr. Dickinson will know what to do with the pack. It would look suspicious if you came back with nothing, so I'll let you take it. Don't tell anyone else, Ray. I know you'll keep your word."

Ray stared at him once more, trying very hard to tweak his memory. But no name came to mind, just thoughts, and a jumble of memories. He turned around and walked quickly out the door. He could feel the man watching him as he ran through the empty halls. 

Why couldn't he remember him? And when had he even seen him? Ray could remember lots of memories and he remembered his mother and his grandfather and Lee's grandfather and the village…but nothing concerning this man came to mind. And yet…yet every time Ray saw him he felt extremely uneasy and nervous. Each time he saw him he would clutch Driger strongly in his hands as if seeing this man made him think he would lose it.

As he ran down the empty hallways, clutching the mysterious pack, he slowed down a bit. _What was Mr. Dickinson_ _trying to hide from everyone else?_ Ray thought the bag was beginning to feel a little heavy in his hands. _This pack contains important information for Mr. Dickinson. Don't tell anyone else, Ray. I know you'll keep your word._ Ray suddenly stopped and set the bag down. He reached for the zipper and stopped. Ray suddenly hated that Chinese man, even though he had never really talked to him before, nor had he any idea why he hated him so much. If he was going to be doing anything, it was to do the opposite of what this man thought of him. And yet…If Mr. Dickinson found out Ray had lied the entire time, what would he think? But if Mr. Dickinson never found out…

Ray had never been dishonest in his entire life…well, except for a few occasions as a know-it-all kid, but he knew the pack would irk him for a long time if he didn't find out what was in it.

He pulled the zipper up determinedly and peered inside. It was a blanket! A stupid white blanket with tigers and cheetahs sewn along the seams. No…wait a minute. Ray lifted the blanket out and peered inside. There was a photograph and a disk at the very bottom. The man had only used the blanket to conceal them. 

The frame that lined the photograph was broken, and someone had tried crossing out two of the three people in the photograph. The third person's face was circled. It was two adults and a little baby boy. The boy was wrapped in the blanket now sitting on the floor next to him and was the figure circled in bright red. The adults were smiling. It was hard to see their faces through the black marker, but he could just make out the woman's mahogany brown hair and perfectly shaped oval golden eyes. Her mouth was small and straight and her chin was curved. The man had midnight black hair, much like his own, bright blue eyes and bore a signature on his chest jacket, but Ray couldn't see it because of the black marker. 

He sighed and stuffed the photograph back inside and picked up the disk. He wouldn't be able to access it right now and he couldn't take it or Mr. Dickinson would know. Or would he? It was perfectly possible that he would accept the fact that this Chinese man had just forgotten to put it in. Ray felt a sting of pain at knowing that he might lie a second time and quickly stuffed the disk back in the pack before he could change his mind.

As he stuffed the blanket back inside the pack, he also saw the letter A in the folds and assumed it inscribed someone's name. He pulled it back up curiously, knowing it might have the name of the boy on it.

A loud squeaky noise made him jump and look around. It sounded a lot like a door. Ray grabbed the blanket and pack and rushed behind the nearest corner. He stuffed the blanket back inside hurriedly and waited till the Chinese man passed him in the hallway. He walked brusquely by, frowning slightly. Ray watched him turn the last corridor into the open stadium before he turned around and headed outside. As he saw Mr. Dickinson, Kai, Max, Tyson, and Kenny waiting for him outside, he felt guilty and extremely conscious, like they knew what he had done. 

He handed Mr. Dickinson the pack and watched Mr. Dickinson watch him slightly, as if trying to decipher whether Ray had seen what it's hidden contents were. But Ray put on a brave face and pretended not to notice as they walked to the Buffet. As far as he and that Chinese man were concerned, he had never seen what was in that pack.

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"Mariah! What happened to you and Mobekai?!" Lee demanded, finding her back at the hotel.

"Never mind that," she whispered hurriedly, "Did Tyson win? Did the Bladebreakers win?"

"Yes. Of course they won. Why didn't you come-what happened to your voice?" He asked curiously.

"I'm losing my voice. The snowmobile broke down and we had to walk back. I think I've caught something."

"Great. Just great," Kevin sat down heavily, "Why does everyone have to get sick right before we prepare to battle?"

"_I'm _not sick," Lee interrupted, "I told you: I feel much better now. I feel stronger."

"You were still throwing up this morning," Gary pointed out, "So, where did it go?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I don't feel sick right now. And I'm sure Mariah will be better by the time we have to battle."

"I hope so."

"You shouldn't see Mobekai anymore, Mariah," Lee frowned and repeated, "I still don't like him."

"You're using my sickness as an excuse to pick on Mobekai! And I'm not 'seeing' him! He's just a really good friend-that's all."

Gary raised an eyebrow and Kevin tried hard not to snicker.

"What's so funny?" Mariah hissed. She tried to sound demanding, but because her voice was hoarse, it sounded more like pebbles being thrown against sand-really rough.

"Nothing really," Kevin broke into a large grin, "Do you really think Mobekai gave you flowers and took you on a date because he just wanted to be 'good friends' with you?"

"It wasn't a date." Mariah said flatly, "It was just something to do to pass the time."

"Did he kiss you?" Lee demanded.

Mariah remained silent, wondering. He _had_ asked if he could kiss her and he had been a little _too_ concerned about her welfare. But she had to keep her mind focused on Ray. He was the one she had feelings for. She was afraid if she became too emotionally attached to Mobekai, she might lose interest in Ray.

"I thought so," Lee flung his stuff down angrily.

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"This salad looks great," Max sat down next to Ray, "Aren't you going to get anything?"

"No, I'm not really that hungry."

"Tyson!" Kenny watched him spill his third glass of juice, "Didn't you have dinner?"

"Of course."

"Isn't that your second course?"

"Yes."

"Aaagh!" Kenny knocked his head against the table frustratedly. Dizzi laughed in his laptop,

"Dinner is an ongoing course for Tyson, Chief…"

Kai joined the table and was about to sit down next to Tyson, but Tyson got up immediately,

"Let me get up first. I'm almost done."

"You're not going back for thirds, are you?" Kenny cried.

Tyson grinned and rubbed his stomach teasingly,

"I can't refuse free buffet food, Kenny. It's instinct. Celebration food, that's what it is…"

"Actually, it's just an excuse to fatten his stomach even further…" Dizzi voiced.

"Dizzi!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Sorry, chief."

"Ew…what in the world…AAARGH! AARGH! There's something brown and furry in my potatoes!" Kenny started grabbing hold of Ray's head and pushing him down in fear.

"Chief, get off me!" Ray cried as Kenny yanked on his ponytail.

Max pushed a couple of potatoes aside and reached inside, pulling out the brown and furry animal rummaging in Kenny's food. It was a fat field mouse.

"Awww! Look how cute!" He patted the head.

"Are you serious?" Ray leaned forward, "That's the most disgusting animal I've ever seen."

"Nah-they're great scavengers. He's just hungry and got caught in the wrong place."

"You're not actually keeping that thing, are you?" Kai asked beside him eyeing it with some disgust. 

"He could come in handy and look, he likes me!" Max patted his head and pushed him in his front overall pocket, feeding him some of his mozzarella cheese, "What a place to find him, too. They're addicted to cheese. Kind of like Tyson, huh?"

Tyson came back, with a plate full of only cheese and chocolate. He grinned and sat down,

"Dessert!"

"Dig in!" Mr. Dickinson also came back with his second filling of cheese, "You'll never find cheese like they have here. And the chocolate is absolutely delicious too. That's another thing Switzerland is known for."

"Well, it's definitely in my favor already," Tyson beamed, "Any place that is known for food is o-kay with me!"

"How about mice?" Max held his newfound interest up, "I named him Cheese, cause he just loves it."

"So now it's a him?" Kai asked.

"Ewww…" Tyson jumped up at the sight of the mouse, "What the heck _is_ that thing?"

"Max' new pet." Ray smiled.

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Final Note: Awwww…I kind of like Cheese already. Who'd have pictured Max with a cute field mouse? Anyway…thanks for getting and staying this far in the story and review if you can please!


	10. Struggling for Answers

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Yukirin-rin: Aw, yay. I can't believe how excited you were that I posted!J That's cool that you liked the chapter. And thanks for all the compliments! 

neko-neko: Yeah! We all love little Cheese! So cute, so cute. Are you talking about the girl in the photo? Yep yep-that's who you think it is-good job! (;

kaz: Yay! Yay yay-you like r/m more than m/m! j/k, I like Mobekai or he wouldn't be my OC and r/m will definitely happen (;-and you'll learn more about the picture later!

Galux Kitty: Oh, sweet! You people that have ytv are so darn lucky! You get to watch BB during prime time and you've already seen seasons 2 and 3! The only episodes that come on here in the states are at stinking 7:30 in the morning. And you even have little pop quiz questions too! (*hugs chibi Ray plushie*) Aww…how cute.

Curtis Zidane Ziraa: Pets are always fun to have! Thanks for reviewing.

Ivan: Hey thanks for the e-mail! Actually, I do have an excuse for that or I would have immediately incorporated that into the fic: I never saw the battle between Ray and Bryan until after I posted Chapter 8, but I'm glad you brought it to my attention! I'll figure something out (:

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Cool Quotes:

"If you can't see the weapon, it's not against the rules." -Tyson's father

"Yeah! Well, it ought to be!"-Tyson's grandpa

"You got that right, Gramps!" -Mr. Dickinson

The second battle between Ray and Brian in 'A Wicked Wind Blows'

****

Authors Note: This one so far was the hardest to write-at least until I finally figured out the sequencing events. I think it's really good, though, so I hope you enjoy. Kind of the first climax, if you will. M/M (Mariah/Mobekai) fans I know will definitely enjoy this one.

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

I actually did some research on Milan this time-most of the trademark names used, like hotels, buses, restaurants and trams are actual places and names. However, I just guessed on the money. Enjoy!

__

Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

*SecretQuill*: Awww…I kind of don't want to write this chapter because you know, then I have to make you sad.

*Ray*: I know. Poor me. ):

*SecretQuill*: Guess what though? (sings joyfully) I found my other muse! 

*Ray*: Finally!

*SecretQuill*: May I introduce my very own character-Trish! DadadadaadaaDAH! Drum roll please!

*Trish*: Oh, please don't get all sappy on me. I'm running out of money and I needed a job…especially after…well I can't ruin the end of the story.

*Ray*: I'm running out of popcorn. Refills, please? Hey, what happened to the cool background music?

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 10: Struggling for Answers

The Bladebreakers were in the packed train to Italy and the only relief was escaping once in a while to wander the hallways or head to the dining compartment before the attendant persuaded them to head back to their "room". 

The dining compartment of the train was filled with many cushions. At the far side on either end of the compartment were wrap around bars, though no alcohol was actually served on the train. On either side of the door were triple-seated wooden benches.

Kenny sat in one of the chairs adjacent to the benches and played games on his laptop and Dizzi acted as the sarcastic side commentator,

"Maybe you should get Tyson to do it for you Chief. You're not commending much effort. No! A little more to the left!"

"Be quiet, Dizzi! I can't concentrate!"

Tyson was only half-heartedly eating an enchilada at the countertop. Max and Ray were watching and commentating on the news showing on the small T.V. set up in the corner of the room. The only other occupants were one waiter/bar attendee, two males gathered around the stools, three females talking opposite the bench Kenny was sitting on and two boys playing marbles on the floor nearby. Kai was watching their game with interest. He stepped forward, a little tired of standing behind the boys,

"Can I join your game?"

The little boy looked up for a quick glance. He had thick blonde hair and brown eyes,

"Yeah, can you wait for a few minutes? We're almost…" He trailed off and looked up more slowly, his jaw slack open in awe, "_Hey!_ I _know_ you! You're Kai Hiwatari! You're the captain of the famous Bladebreakers, the world champion beybladers!"

Kai smiled, "Yeah, that's me."

"You can join right now if you want to! Neither of us has scored yet!" The other boy scooted over, "I'm Jacob."

"I'm Cale and I _love_ the Bladebreakers."

Kai turned around to see Tyson staring blankly. Max and Ray arguing with the T.V. cameraman and Kenny concentrating hard at his screen, while Dizzi gave fake cheers,

"GO KENNY! No, go right! Go left! Your_ other _left."

"I'm trying, Dizzi!"

"What does that guy think he's doing? Punch him! Use that key there-it's supposed to be a secret, but as I'm the computer, I know it. Yeah, that's it!"

Keeping in mind the consideration of respect and awe these boys had for him, Kai thought it best not to introduce them to Tyson, who loved his fans just as much as they loved him.

"Your move," the boy handed him the dice, "Wow, Jacob, wait till we tell Samantha we played dice with Kai Hiwatari!"

Kai found them amusing, though he did not particularly like all the attention.

"Can I see your Dranzer?"

Kai hesitated before pulling his blade out. He held it in his hands for them to see, but put it back in his pocket immediately. Cale watched him closely,

"I guess you're pretty protective about that, huh? Can I hold it? Please?"

"No. No one else has ever touched Dranzer, but me," he moved his marbles and handed the dice to Jacob, "I believe it's your turn."

He watched Jacob and Cale also play their dice, before it was Kai's turn again. It was a pretty easy game. He moved his marbles and again handed the dice to Jacob. He blocked the game out for a minute and just listened to everything around him. 

"That's outrageous!" Max hit the T.V., "Why can _he_ say something like that and get away with it?"

"Yeah, I can't believe-" Ray trailed off.

"You idiot! Why didn't you kick him?" Dizzi yelled over Ray's response.

"I was trying to, but I was also trying to block out your yells at the same time!" Kenny clicked a button on his laptop, "Okay, I'm starting again. Try to keep your voice down a notch, will you?"

"Wow! Would you look at that?"

"I haven't done anything yet."

"I'm not talking about the game. Over there! Isn't that Danika and Kira of the Wild Cheetahs?"

Kai turned around distractedly when he heard this to see Danika and Kira make their way over to Max and Ray. He barely would have noticed the hand going into his pocket if he hadn't turned to see the game. Cale stood up too quickly, lost balance and cluttered back onto the floor in a heap. Kai could see Dranzer glowing slightly in his sweaty hands against the reflection of the only lighting in the compartment.

"You!" He lunged forward, "Give me that!"

"Jacob!" He tossed the blade over to his friend, who stared at Kai's angry face for a minute and then took off toward the entrance,

"Cale, help me!"

"You're common thieves!" Kai reached out and grabbed Jacob's hood, lifting him off his feet. Jacob closed his eyes and stuck out the blade too resignedly. Kai thought that was a little weird since he'd just taken so much effort to try and grab him. But Jacob closed his hands when Kai reached to grab the blade from him and he threw it behind his back where Cale grabbed it. 

Cale was closest to the bar where Tyson was sitting. He jumped forward to grab Cale, but only clawed his satchel and watched as dozens of marbles flew everywhere.

Cale sprinted toward the door, where Trish suddenly appeared from nowhere and snatched Dranzer out of his hands, picking him up by the scruff of hair on his neck. He squeaked and covered his eyes, yelling,

"I just wanted to hold it!"

Trish let go of him, a little nonplused and he and his little friend disappeared into the other living compartments.

"Gee, what was that all about?" Tyson, who had started to pick up the marbles, looked around at Kai. 

Trish walked up to Kai, but her eyes were only for Dranzer, clutching the blade with both hands. She seemed almost mesmerized by the bit-chip. She felt every curve of the blade against her palm. 

A hand reached forward suddenly and snatched it out of her hands. 

She looked up at Kai's tired and slightly annoyed face. He did not like the way she had been possessively holding his blade.

"Your welcome," she replied sarcastically.

"Thank you," he responded.

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"Rain!" Kenny clutched his official BBA jacket around him as he and the rest of the Bladebreakers ran through the pummeling rain just outside the Central Railway Station in Milan, "Heat to Snow to Rain! Why can't we just have a normal beautiful day around here?"

"Chief!" Ray pointed to a teller near one of the ticket booths, "That's an auto currency exchange machine. We won't be able to catch a taxi without the right money!"

"Right!" Kenny handed him some money, "We'll meet you inside."

"Did Mr. Dickinson give you the passports?" Kai asked a little worriedly.

"I've got them here," Tyson held up what looked like soaking towels, "Well, they _were_ good and dry a minute ago."

"Never mind about that," Max heaved the luggage, "They still count."

Ray ran to the machine and clicked on a button that said _English Transfer_. 

5,000 pounds for E 4,067. Transfer Complete.

Ray grabbed the money in the bowl and ran inside the sliding glass doors, where Tyson was attempting to blow on the passports.

"Give it up, Tyson. That's not going to do a thing," Kai grabbed the tickets from his hand and handed them to the attendant. He nodded and let them slide by.

"Taxi! Taxi!" Kenny lifted a hand, furiously.

A white taxi with a blue and red stripe across the side pulled up,

"Ah, tourists! Where to, boys?" 

Max grabbed the information packets,

"The Golden Tulip Manin Hotel. At 7 Via Manin."

"A four star hotel. Very nice choice. Weather's pretty nasty, eh?" 

Max nodded and handed the packets back to Kenny.

The Italian bearded man pulled out into the crowded streets.

"You can call me Keato. Welcome to Milan." 

"Thank you," Tyson buckled in.

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Trish squeezed the water out of her drenched shirt and stood back to watch the BioVolt helicopter land. It had stopped raining for a bit, but the dense humidity, overcast sky, and puddled roads still left a gloomy atmosphere. The helicopter landed slowly, the winds from the draft splashing water in all directions. Trish covered her face as she was sprayed with water once again. She immediately gave up trying to get her clothes dry. 

The door lift came down and Boris stepped into view with that hideous purple mask covering his eyes. He was flanked on both sides by Tala and Ian of the Demolition Boys.

"What kept you?" Was Trish' welcome.

"Absolutely nothing. You're early." Boris smirked, "Why?"

"Colby caught the flu. I think she's been hanging around the White Tigers." Trish was delighted that he'd noticed her early arrival.

"Good. That's good…" Boris began thoughtfully. 

Trish frowned,

"It's good she caught the flu?"

"No. It's good she's been hanging around the White Tigers." Tala stepped forward.

Trish smiled,

"Hello Tala. Ian. I thought you had a match to be at?"

"We won already. What did you expect?" Tala raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect you to show up in East Europe."

"We're running…_errands_ for Boris." Ian grinned.

"The delivery boys. _Fascinating_." Trish gave a quirky smirk.

"Tala and Ian are here to cheer the Bladebreakers on," Boris smiled a little too fakely, "And it only takes two hours to get back to Ireland in the copter."

"Come now, Boris. What are you _really _planning to do?" Trish folded her arms.

"You better be worrying about those bit-beasts. Let _us_ worry about our own problems."

"So, you're just going to lie to me? Like you lied about Kai?"

"I never lied about Kai."

"He _used_ Black Dranzer and somehow it's not an unknown secret. Yet, _I _didn't know about this. You said he never wanted to use it!"

"He doesn't…_now_. I had to tweak the story a bit or Zen would never have bargained."

"What am I supposed to tell Kai if he asks me about it then, huh? _Lie_?"

"No. The original story will do just well."

"The _original story_ will never work. It's a guarantee failure."

"Really? Enlighten me." Boris raised an eyebrow.

"This puts _everything _on a different light. I'm now running the risk of enticing him by using it. His familiarity with the blade could ruin everything."

"Keep him out of the way. It's that simple."

"No, it isn't. Zen's group is starting to 'bond' with the Bladebreakers. Trusting Zen was your first mistake. Kai is only going to keep interfering and I'm afraid he already suspects something after I asked him about Black Dranzer."

"You're not starting to _sympathize_ with Kai, are you?" Tala asked suspiciously.

"No," Trish stated firmly, "But at least he's honest with me."

"For your sake," Boris' eyes narrowed, "He better not interfere. When has honesty or trust been a priority for you, Trish?"

"She's getting soft," Tala surveyed her, "I _told_ you you should have let me do it instead."

"Silence, Tala! Do not undermine my authority. Maybe his interference could work to our advantage. Keep bringing it up, Trish. His interest might be what we want at the moment."

He glanced at his watch and then at the sky,

"I will be going now. Keep an eye on Kai, Trish. And Tala and Ian? Keep an eye on Trish."

"Yes, sir." All of them repeated obediently.

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Max and Kai swung open their hotel door, dragging in the luggage.

"Hey there, little dude!" A rough voice yelled from the center of the room.

Tyson paled,

"_Grandpa?_ What are you doing here?"

"What kind of a question is that? I came here to see my grandson battle, of course!" Grandpa Granger clapped Tyson on the back,

"Been having fun? Boy, I tell you, Italy is beautiful isn't it?"

Tyson rubbed his back sorely,

"Yeah. I'll have to wait till it rains before I can see it, though."

"Just look out the window!" A new voice grinned happily.

"Mr. Dickinson?" Ray turned, "Let me guess: you arranged for Tyson's grandfather to come?"

"And that's not all! Mr. Granger is meeting us in Denmark and your grandfather is meeting us in Romania, Ray!"

"My grandfather?" Ray asked amazingly, "You really got him to leave China? That's great!"

"Denmark? We're going to Denmark? And Romania? Gypsies!" said Max.

"That's right!"

"But why?" Kai asked, "Is everyone coming just to support us?"

"Of course!"

"Even my father?" Tyson asked, "But he should be out making important archeological finds!"

"Well, he might not stay the entire time. He'll be there for the finals."

Ray walked over to the balcony overlooking a nice view of a partial garden. It was all really nice that everyone was coming to support them, especially his grandfather. It had been so long since he'd seen his face and it would be a delight to see him. But he wasn't so sure that was why Mr. Dickinson had arranged for everyone to come together. He thought Kai had a good point. He had a feeling there was another underlying reason that Tyson's father, grandfather, and his own grandfather were getting together with the Bladebreakers. He felt it had something to do with Mr. Dickinson's mysterious pack and his 'hidden' arrangement to meet with that Chinese Man. 

"Coming, Ray?"

"Huh?" He turned.

"We're getting lunch. You've got to be hungry after all that traveling," Max held the edge of the door.

"Nah, I'm actually a little tired. I'll just stay and get some sleep."

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Mariah held an ice pack up to her head. Her hands felt like ice, but her headache was earsplitting.

A loud knock broke the silence of the room.

"Coming!" Lee called. He opened the door, "Oh. Hi."

"Hi Lee. I suppose you're feeling better then?" Mobekai rubbed his hands together.

"Yes," he nodded, "What business have you here?"

"You didn't meet with Colby, yesterday, per chance did you?"

"You came up here to ask me that?"

"Actually, we're staying at the Leonardo da Vinci hotel on Via Senigallia. I came up here to speak with Mariah. If that's all right?"

"She's sick and not feeling good. No thanks to you, of course."

"I understand. May I speak with her?" Mobekai persisted.

"You'll catch what she has."

"I'm not afraid. Colby has come down with something as well; I'm around her twenty-four seven."

"But you're not around Mariah twenty-four seven. Please go, Mobekai."

Lee almost succeeded in shutting the door on his face, but Mariah grabbed the handle and pushed Lee back,

"Lee! That's rude. He traveled all the way up here just to talk to me. I can give him a few minutes of my time. If you will…?" Mariah smiled.

Lee stepped aside a little begrudgingly,

"Only a few minutes though. Nothing more."

"Maybe we should go to the garden, Mobekai," Mariah grabbed his hand, "Lee can't commentate from there."

"I'll use the window, then! You should avoid the outdoors, anyway. We're battling tomorrow!"

"It can't be that contagious, can it? I mean, you, Kevin, and Gary are always around me and you haven't gotten anything yet. I'll be back soon."

She shut the door on Lee's face and followed Mobekai downstairs.

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"_Italiano and caffe_!" Tyson's grandfather read aloud, "Sounds like a wonderful little place."

"You mean a wonderfully _cheap_ little place," Tyson grumbled. 

Grandpa hit him on the back on the head,

"Stop being ungrateful, boy! You're lucky I don't feed you _his_ food," he pointed at Cheese, who was nibbling on some crackers in Max' hand.

"Eat up." Kenny advised, checking his watch, "The next match starts in two hours."

"Hmm…Pizza sounds really good right now." Max wandered over to the buffet.

Kenny ordered off the menu before excusing himself to the little boy's room. Tyson's grandfather began picking everything he could off the buffet. And Mr. Dickinson, Tyson, and Kai ordered off the menu. Tyson then went to get a salad from the bar. Mr. Dickinson got up and Kai watched him approach a young woman at a table on the other side of the _caffe._

Kai crossed his arms and laid tiredly back in the booth. But just as soon as he did, a horribly familiar voice rang out in front of him.

"If it isn't the little traitor, himself?!"

Kai's eyes flew open to see Tala and Ian, Boris' instrumental slaves as he knew them, standing only a few feet in front of him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He asked icily.

"We wanted to watch your battle, of course." Tala shrugged without feeling.

"Don't you have your own battle to attend?" Kai sat up, "Say, in _West_ Europe?"

"We already won ours. We don't have to be in Ireland till tomorrow," Ian gave a quick smirk. He dropped it immediately, as if unused to smiling. _Figures_, Kai thought.

"Had any problems lately with that weak Dranzer of yours?" Tala watched Kai closely.

"Dranzers not weak." Kai stared stealthily back, "You'll know cause we'll be facing you in the finals."

"Indeed, we might," Tala leaned back, "Say hello to your, um, 'teammates' for me."

"What are you boys up to?" Mr. Dickinson had appeared with the woman at his side. Tyson appeared seconds later, frowning with disgust at the sight of Tala and Ian.

"Shouldn't you be halfway across the globe right now?" Tyson asked.

Tala smirked momentarily,

"Wouldn't you like us to be there? We were just disgusting with Kai how very much we would like to cream you in the finals."

"We'll see who'll be cream when that day comes, won't we?" Tyson raised a fist.

"Come off it, Tyson. You don't scare me one bit." Tala crossed his arms, "You better hope you don't even make it to the finals. We want our title back and we're showing even less mercy than we did last time we battled."

"Whoever said you had a title in the first place?" Kai asked.

Ian raised a hand to wave as they turned and crossed the restaurant,

"In the finals then!" 

They disappeared behind the door.

"They're _not_ here to cheer us on," Kai muttered angrily at their retreating backs.

"Gee, what gave you the first idea?" Tyson asked sarcastically.

"Boys, I really would like to introduce you to Miss-"

"Not now," Kai stood up, "They're doing something for Boris and I'm gonna find out what it is."

"Kai, this is _very_ important…" Mr. Dickinson continued.

"So is this. I'll find out later anyway."

"Now don't you do anything stupid, boy!" Tyson's grandfather warned, appearing again at the booth.

Kai ignored him and proceeded to follow the two Demolition Boys out the door.

"Hey, Kai! Wait!" Tyson held his salad up, "You haven't eaten anything! Aren't you hungry?"

Kai closed the _italiano and caffe_ door, the little bell ringing.

Tyson dropped his plate,

"Ahhh-he always has to ruin my appetite."

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"Your voice sounds a lot better." 

Mobekai walked next to Mariah as they headed through a bunch of hedges in the garden. On either side were rows of flowers of every kind, size, and shape. White benches covered in green moss were lined up every two yards along the path. And everything was freshly soaked with the moisture of sun-kissed rain.

"Really? That's good-I've been using ice-soaked wash cloths."

"I didn't mean to upset Lee. I didn't think-"

"Lee's just really protective. That's all. Don't worry about it."

"It's really pretty here, isn't it? I mean, all the rain and the sun shining through at just the right angle on these flowers? At least, it's beautiful compared to what we experienced in Bern."

Mobekai was looking at the ground. He leaned over and picked up a wilting rose on the ground,

"It's starting to rain again. Look!" He pointed at the raindrops visibly ricocheting off the rose as he held it up. 

Mariah looked up at the sky and then back at the hotel,

"I'd rather not go back so soon. Let's stay a while."

"And get all wet? Mariah, if you haven't noticed, the rain isn't the best place for you to be at the moment because you're sick."

"I have to ask you----a---question, Mobekai?!" 

The rain was starting to pound all around them.

"What?" Mobekai called back. He grabbed her hand to pull her under a giant weeping willow. _His hands feel so perfect_, she thought furiously, _They're just the right shape._ _Why am I thinking this?_ She shivered a bit and tried to wipe her wet hair out of her eyes.

"Over here, Mariah! It should provide just a little bit of protection."

He pulled her, but the pavement had created a large puddle and she hadn't placed her foot firmly on the ground.

"Oooff!" She grunted roughly as her foot slid up and she fell onto the asphalt, yanking Mobekai back as well. He slipped and fell on top of her as well. It hurt a bit, but she completely forgot the pain when she saw their position. They were completely wet all over and the rain continued to soak their backs. Mariah had completely forgotten that she was sick and that she was cold. She blushed furiously as she stared into Mobekai's eyes. They were so blue…like the rain all around them. _Stop! _She tried commanding herself furiously, _You're in love with Ray, remember? Golden eyes…_

But a little voice in the back of her head also spoke,

__

But you love Mobekai as well. Don't deny it. You think he's cute and sweet and you want to kiss him badly…

Stop!

I don't want to. You know you like Mobekai just as much as you like Ray. The only difference is that Mobekai likes you back. Ray doesn't even know you exist.

Mobekai rolled off her,

"Sorry. I didn't mean to crush you."

He smiled and tried to make a joke of it, but she couldn't find any humor in the statement. He wasn't heavy at all…he was-the perfect weight. She was suddenly hit with how cold it was. He'd been really warm.

He grabbed her hand again and helped her up, leading her into the protection of the weeping willow. He tried dropping her hand, but this time she grabbed onto his and refused to let go. He looked into her eyes,

"What's wrong?"

"I need to ask you something. It's been bugging me for a while."

"Anything."

"Are we friends, Mobekai? Or am I just friends with you?"

"What? I can't hear you!" He called and used his other arm to shield his face as a gust of wind blew through the tree. Mariah knew he could very well hear her and realized he was just trying to avoid answering.

"Mobekai?!" She asked again, a little more frankly.

He frowned,

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Do you like me? Not as a friend, but, I mean, as something more? You gave me those flowers and you wanted to kiss me and then there was all the care and comfort. I mean…what I wanted to ask was…Do you love me?"

The wind slowly stopped blowing. The only thing they could hear was the hard pattering of rain around them and their own breathing.

Mobekai slowly smiled and reached up to peel a leaf off her face. His fingers were warm and soft on her cheek.

"Yeah, Mariah…I love you."

She stared. His eyes seemed to bear deeper into her own and she felt like she was drowning in the blueness of those orbs. _What about Ray though?_ She began to mentally remind herself.

"Do you love me?" He asked quietly, stepping closer. He took her other hand and slowly entwined his fingers through her own. Her beat began to beat faster.

"I---I don't know, Mobekai. I'm not sure whether I love you…"

"Will this help you make up your mind?"

He raised their entwined fingers up and let go, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed one hand on her waist and let the other slide onto her cheek to support her head. He leaned in to kiss her.

She felt completely paralyzed, frozen. He was so smooth about it and yet so kind. So gentle and so sweet. She couldn't help herself as she closed her eyes, no longer able to see his beautiful blue eyes, but to feel his soft kiss. 

When he felt her respond, he seemed to become a lot more generous. She could feel his warmth spread from her mouth to the rest of her body. He let go of her for a moment so they could come up for air. She was no longer cold, but hot. As she did so, though, a bright flash of lightening struck the air above them and reality sunk in quickly. The gold stain the lightning had left on her eyes reminded her of the one person she was supposed to be falling in love with.

"Mariah? Are you all right?"

She turned sadly to those wonderful blue eyes of his,

"Mobekai, the truth is…the truth is…I'm not sure whether I love you…or Ray."

Mobekai stared and let his hands drop from her face slowly.

"I--I'm so sorry, Mobekai. I--I thought I loved him. But now I'm not sure. I just need more time to get to know you better, is all."

He shook his head,

"No, Mariah. If you love me half of the time and Ray half of the time, it'll never work out. If you love Ray more, I understand. I just need to know now."

She could feel the cold again. It was a lot colder and a lot harsher than she remembered. She could feel her tears mixing with the rain on her face,

"I'm afraid…right now…that I can't give you an answer."

Her voice was starting to crack again. She could feel the strain and her head started to hurt. His own voice cracked as he asked quietly,

"You haven't gone out with him, have you?"

"No. He…doesn't even know that I like him." She must have sounded as stupid as she felt. 

He closed his eyes a little breathlessly, having been totally unprepared for her response,

"Then I guess you're really not ready after all. We should really go. I'll help you-"

"No." She shook her head sadly, "Go back to your hotel, Mobekai. You've done more than enough for me already and I'm afraid you caught my flu with that kiss."

He looked deep into her eyes once more and she had to turn to the ground to avoid getting caught up in his face,

"I didn't know at all, Mariah. I wouldn't have tried if I'd known."

She didn't respond for a few minutes and finally looked up from the ground,

"I've got to go, Mobekai," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. We're…still friends right?"

"I'm afraid …right now…that I can't give you an answer." He repeated.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of deserve that…" she mumbled, pulling her hair out of her face, "I'll see you later. Maybe?"

And on that note, she turned and began walking quite stiffly up the path. Her tears began to flow more freely, but it was impossible to tell whether the rain or the stinging hurt more on her face.

__

I have to find out who I would rather be with. I have to talk to someone, anyone…I hate you, Ray. What have I done? What did I just do? I ruined it. I ruined everything. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Flashback*

"Waaaaahhhhhhhhh! WAAAAAAGGHHH! Auaaggggghhh! Maaaaaaaaa! Thaaaaaagh!"

Ray waved his hands in front of his face. They were very small. His index fingers were pressed instinctively to his thumbs and his feet waved incessantly. He was quite young-only a baby.

"Aaaaauuggghhh! Agh-agh-aaagh!"

It was deadly quiet. The only sound was the own cries emitting from his mouth-it was the only thing he could do. Each time he yelled it cut the air like a knife. He felt so helpless and alone. He wanted his parents…his mother and his father.

It was completely black, dark, silent, and hot. He could see only bleak patches of red and orange in the distance and once in a while, bright white lights.

There was no vegetation for miles and the dust in the air was so thick, he could wipe it off his skin each time his legs rubbed together.

He was in a little ditch, sheltered from all view. He remembered that he'd been put there. A large rock jutting out from the side of a cliff blocked his view of the sky. There was a nasty smell in the air, like something that had been rotting for a while.

He screamed again, but no response came through the muggy darkness. He began to wail, flinging his arms incessantly for someone, anyone.

Then he heard it. A small tumble of rocks, like someone trying to go downhill on sand and dirt.

Curiously, Ray began to mumble,

"Ahhgaadoodedoo. Faa-"

A face suddenly appeared above his own. It seemed very huge. Ray reached up and pinched the cheeks on the face of the man in front of him.

"Ouch!" The man reared back in surprise.

He reached forward and fingered something above Ray's forehead.

"I wonder…"

Ray giggled with surprise at the touch of a human hand. It had been so long since he'd felt anything besides the rough surface beneath. He reached up and grabbed this man's finger. He stared at Ray in surprise and fingered the blanket preventing Ray's head from splitting open on the rocks behind him.

"Ray, then? Is that your name? And look at this-" he touched something on Ray's shirt before he whispered, "You're a Kon. How is that possible?"

Ray giggled again and tried grabbing the man, waving his hands over his face,

"Blah-bahriacofelatooooo…ooohhh-"

"My name is Zen Tai-Ken. Zeeeennn Taaaiiiiii-Kkkeeeenn. I guess you can't say that now, huh?"

"Aaaaaggh!' Ray squealed, squeezing his own palm. He tried Tai-Ken's finger to his mouth.

"No!" Tai-Ken picked Ray up and gave him some water. Ray gobbled hungrily.

"I guess you're pretty hungry then? You'll be coming with me. There's a village ahead. I'm sure they'll have food and drink for the both of us. You and Uncle Tai-Ken."

*End Flashback*

BOOM!

Thunder echoed across the endless gray sky. Ray sat up immediately and looked around the dark hotel room. It was still dark and empty. Not much time had passed since the others had left to get lunch. Ironic as it were, Ray was feeling pretty thirsty. His mouth felt pretty dry.

He rubbed his eyes and wandered over to the balcony, just stopping short of where he'd get soaked.

He thought he'd just had a dream. No, it hadn't been a dream. It'd seemed more like a memory. In fact, he seemed completely certain that it was a memory. If that was the case, it must've been his earliest yet.

But _when had it happened_ and _where_? And more to the point, _why _was he remembering it?

__

Tai-Ken…he could still see the man's face in his mind still. _"You _still_ don't recognize me? I suppose you were extremely young then anyway..."_ The Chinese Man's words echoed through his mind. The Chinese man seemed to raise his eyebrows mockingly in Ray's mind.

Ray gasped as the realization hit him. 

__

Zen Tai-Ken was the name of the Chinese man.

But why, then, had Tai-Ken found him in the middle of nowhere inside his memory? Why had he taken him to who knows where? Where had his mother and his father been in all this? 

A bright white flash of lightening followed the thunder, lighting up the landscape. Ray followed the garden path with his eyes and momentarily forgot about his answerless questions.

There, beneath the weeping willow he could see two familiar figures locked in a passionate kiss.

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Final Note: You actually might hate me for this fic because a lot of you seem to like Mobekai more than Ray anyway. Just in case you didn't notice, Ray's bit and Mariah/Mobekai's bit happened at the same time. Mobekai didn't come back and kiss Mariah again! (; It'll be another week before I can post again cause I'm going to visit a friend. You know the deal: read/review please!


	11. Milan

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Galux Kitty: Right, well, that's your interpretation. We all know Mariah likes Ray because she said it herself-your first quote. But Ray gives no evidence whatsoever that he likes Mariah in return. His 'feelings' could very well just be feelings of friendship. And I hate slashes just as much as you so I really do apologize for the first review thing-that does suck so much. You must not hate this story that much if you still keep reading/reviewing, so I thank you!

Curtis Zidane Zira: Issues? There are lots of those, but I'm afraid I have no idea whether you're talking about my characters and the story, you, or me? AHHH! :_I think I just lost a few brain cells:; Oh well, thanks for the quick note of appreciation!

Anime4u2: Awww! Thanks! I rarely get people that review me cause I reviewed them! And I really do love 'an adventure to remember'. Remember, you MUST keep Max and Emily together! I'll cry if you don't!

HikArI-T3nShi: Yeah, I knew your name was Hikari-Tenshi, but I changed it to fit your i.d. name. Whatever floats your boat though-what you'd rather me call you. Yeah, Tai-Ken is like "Dr. Evil" in this story-maybe even worse than Boris. Well, you'll see. Ray's grandfather? Well, I thought I'd heard he had one, but I'm not sure, so it'll just be an OC if I can't prove it. And about Ray's parents? Well, you pretty much hit the nail on that one. L Isn't that sad? I'll explain later why. 

Sakura88: Thanks for reviewing! And you didn't review after Chapter 5, so I'm guessing when you found out I would be doing Mobekai/Mariah, you stopped reading. Or not? Thanks for reviewing Chappies 2 and 5 though! J 

Ice Archer Girl: Yes, I finally got around to reading your own story and I love it-especially Ray controlling fire. You're really good with Fantasy! Mobekai does seem like a weird name, but I've always wanted to use it. It's pronounced Moe-ba-kai That's the best I can do at pronunciation. Sorry! I was so excited that you thought I had Lee's personality down right! I once heard this from someone and I thought it was so true: Love is what moves a person to read a story, but suspense is what keeps the audience coming back for more. So I just love putting in lots of mystery and suspense! Thanks!

kaz: My fic is one of your favorites? Oh, you're so sweet! He's not going to do it, but I'd really like Ray to pound Mobekai over the head with a hammer in reaction. Actually…that would cause a concussion and poor Mobekai would be no more.;)

****

Cool Quotes:

"You _totally _look like the weakest link!"-Kevin 

"What?! Why I oughta-"-Tyson, automatically restrained by Max and Kenny.

"Weakest link! Weakest link!"-Kevin, running away.

"Yeah! Well, you look like the _missing_ _link!_"-Tyson

-Tyson and Kenny in the Asian Preliminaries in the episode The Qualifier Begins

****

*VERY IMPORTANT* Authors Note: 

*spoiler* Everyone see the Vforce episodes? Good. Ooooohh…nasty Hilary-she is quite annoying but she and Tyson are perfect for each other! I know this was written pre-Vforce, but I'll find a way to incorporate everything else in!

Also, I apologize profusely for the long period in which I took to update-I went out of town for a week, I just started school and as a senior taking four advanced classes, I beg you to work with me. I'll try updating at least twice a week, but I might have to stretch in some cases. 

Let's see, another factor for my being late in updating is the chapter itself. Well, not this one as I ran out of room, but the plot for the next two. I'm always so dramatic about everything and I hate what I have to make happen between Mariah/Ray/Mobekai. So I'm apologizing in advance cause I know a few of you might hate me! ;)

If you read this extremely long A/N all the way through, good for you! I don't think I would have. If not, well then, here's hoping you don't flame me in a review!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

By the way, I found out too late that the currency in Italy is Lira, which derives from the Greek word for pound. In my last chapter, I used Euro. 

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs. 

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 11: Milan

"Colby, you have a visitor." Kira poked her head through the door, popping gum around in her mouth.

Colby put her magazine down,

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'll send him in. Danika and I are going to the Fashion District before we head to the match."

"Okay, see you later."

Kira disappeared and not soon after that another face appeared around the pink curtains Danika had fashioned around her bed. She gasped with surprise,

"Lee! What are you doing here?!"

"Hi. Now isn't a bad time, is it?" He looked nervous.

"For what?" She laughed, "I _need_ visitors. How'd you know I was sick?"

"Mobekai. I-just wanted to stop by and apologize."

"For what?" Now she looked confused.

"For-the incident in the BBA office."

"Really? I wasn't expecting you to do it so soon. I accept your apology." She grabbed a lemon drop to suck on. Her voice was starting to hurt.

He looked skeptical.

"You're not mad at me? After all that?" 

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Well-just look at you!" She looked down quizzically as he continued, "You're sick. You can't watch the match now."

"Wait a minute-are we talking about the same incident?"

"I--thought so. I was still sick then-you caught what I had. Right?"

She began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked a little outraged that he'd felt weak expressing his emotions. Well, they weren't exactly emotions, but he rarely apologized for something unless the topic wouldn't leave his mind.

"I never caught what you had. I got sick last night because I got food poisoning on the train. Thanks for claiming responsibility, though. That's real sweet of you."

Lee was pretty close to flushing red with embarrassment. _Boy, I feel pretty stupid right now._

"What did you think I was apologizing for?" he asked after she finally stopped laughing, "The argument. About the bit-beasts. _Remember_?"

"Yes, I remember," he rolled his eyes, "Why would I apologize for _that_?"

"Why would you apologize for making me sick?" she retorted.

"I felt _sorry_ for you, okay?" He snapped.

"Yes, well, right now, I feel pretty sorry for you."

She knew he was embarrassed and was shamelessly rubbing it in his face. He looked angry, like he was close to yelling at her. He bit his lip,

"Guess I shouldn't have come here then."

"Are you going to leave now?"

A rush of emotions exploded and constricted slowly in her stomach. She regretted those words immediately. Even having a fight with Lee meant having company and she knew she would get awfully lonely later.

He stepped back slowly. Then he pulled the curtain shut forcefully,

"Have a nice day, Colby."

She could hear his footsteps on the floor and shouted with a falsetto tone just before the door slammed shut,

"Yes! Well, you have a good day too!"

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Kai walked about five yards behind Tala and Ian, making sure they could not hear him. He could faintly hear their voices, talking in low tones. But he couldn't distinguish who was talking. They turned several odd corners that Kai had never even thought existed. Every once in a while he would lose them, but after walking a little faster, he would see them again.

Their paces slowed, so naturally so did his own. Kai was now absolutely sure they were retrieving something because they would not have any reason to walk this far if they could use the BioVolt copter. And the Beyblade stadium had been in the opposite direction.

He suddenly froze when Tala and Ian stopped. Ian turned slightly and Kai quickly hid behind a lady dressed all in black in front of him. Ian faced forward once more. Then he and Tala walked into a small shop off the corner of a drugstore.

"Huh?" The lady in front of Kai turned around, sensing his presence, "Why you little-!"

She swung hard with her purse and Kai jumped back quickly, eyes wide.

She stormed off, head high. Kai turned to face his destination. He walked a little more quickly, gladly knowing exactly where his destination was. 

But, suppose they were just trying to get somewhere else through the store?

He broke into a run for the corner store, quickly dodging past people.

"Kai! Kai, wait up!" 

The sound of his name confused him for a couple of seconds. _Who in the world would recognize him here and now? Why _did it have to happen _now_? He thought angrily.

He slowed his pace, and rotated his head distractedly in the direction of the voice, running hard into the same woman he'd hidden behind earlier. 

She screeched loudly and began walking him hard on the sidewalk. He raised his hands in defense and partial annoyance. _Sheez, this woman could pack a punch_,

"MUGGER! BRAT! DEVIL CHILD! GET AWAY, YOU WORM!"

"Give me a break…" he muttered as she whacked him hard in the face. He grabbed his eye tenderly.

"What did you just say?!" She demanded, hitting him one more time on the arm, "I'm going to tell the police on you boy unless I get an apology!"

"I'm sorry!" He exasperatedly said, "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

She glared at him for a few moments, before storming off in the opposite direction and whistling for a taxi. He rolled his eyes and got up from the pavement, brushing dirt off.

"Hey mugger."

He pirouetted on the spot in surprise. It was Trish. She smiled at his predicament.

Trish wasn't sporting her usual garb. Her dark orange hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she'd ditched her 3/4 inch tee-shirt, buckled skirt and hand worn knee socks (a/n: think rogue from x-men) for a tank top, shorts and hiking boots. She looked very _not _like Trish. Across her shoulders was a brown knapsack and sticking out of it was a manilla envelope which curiously had a white print that read 'Confidential'.

"Oh. It's _you."_

"Gee, I have a name."

"Well, you did just manage to sick that lonely woman on me. How do you think I'm going to react?" He grabbed his parcel to make sure no one had taken anything from it while he was gone. He couldn't help but feel like there was something missing. His Dranzer was there, his rip-chord, his money, and a small toolbox he liked to use. So far, he'd found everything just the way it was. 

"Sorry. I was just trying to catch your attention."

"Like you did last time?" He slung his bag back over his shoulders and awkwardly remembered the ski slope, "Look, it's nice and all that you're trying to be the philanthropist of the year by talking to me, but next time, a nice 'hello, how are you?' ought to do it."

"You were running! How else was I supposed to try and say hello?"

He didn't respond and began to walk toward the small shop. _Maybe if I just ignore her, she'll go away. Like a fly or something,_ he thought.

"Hey, I'm not done speaking with you!"

He tried losing her behind a group of students, but she somehow popped up in front of him, blocking the way to the store entrance,

"Why were you running anyway?" She asked a little too curiously, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Why is it any of your business?"

He tried walking around her but she moved quickly to block him from reaching the entrance,

"Get out of the way, Trish. I really need to see something."

"You can do it later. Do you want to go do something with me?"

He dropped his arms in exhaustion,

"No thank you. I don't care for games."

"It isn't a game. Come see an art exhibit with me."

"An _art exhibit?_"

She grabbed his shoulder and nearly forced him onto the local bus,

"Yeah, you'll love it. Please?!"

She put on some sad eyes and a moping grin that she seemed to have mastered, but Kai didn't buy it.

"I have to be at the match."

"Oh, it doesn't start for an hour. You'll have enough time."

"Trish."

"Lighten up, Kai."

"Be a little more serious about this."

"I am," she handed the driver some tokens, "We're going to see the Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi museum. It's got a great courtyard. Besides, it's not like you have anything else you need to be doing."

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"Hi Lee. Can I--can I talk with Mariah?"

Lee's eyes narrowed curiously,

"Mobekai. Are you back again for a reason?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Oh? Hold on." 

He went inside and knocked on the bathroom door,

"Mariah! Mobekai's at the door. Are you going to stay in there all day?"

"Tell him I'm not here, Lee," he could faintly hear her whisper.

Lee worried for a minute. _Had Mobekai done something to her?_

He appeared again at the door,

"Go away, Mobekai. She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Please, Lee…I just need to see her for a minute-?" He trailed off.

"I already told you what she wants and I'm going to respect her wish," Lee said quietly, a little sadly, "Good day, Mobekai."

And with that, Lee closed the door on his face.

"Mariah!" Mobekai yelled, but only silence behind the door met his desperate call.

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Ray felt sick to his stomach and it wasn't just because he was hungry, it was because of what he'd just seen in the garden below.

He didn't have feelings for Mariah, he just found it perfectly strange to see her kissing someone. After all, they were best friends.

He'd just never seen her in that light…and he certainly didn't feel like competing for her attention with another boy. Especially when that boy happened to be Mobekai.

That was another thing: when did Mariah and Mobekai become friends? More to the point, when had they become something more? And _how?_

He grabbed Driger and locked the hotel door behind him. He was hungry and Mr. Dickinson had left the name of the restaurant they were heading to just in case he changed his mind. The match was only half an hour away and Ray was sure he shouldn't be battling on an empty stomach.

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"The Chinese civil war. One tribe against them all. That's a fascinating piece, isn't it? Especially because it only just happened fourteen years ago."

Kai turned from the dark and bloody piece. Once again, Trish was breathing down his back,

"And that kind of thing interests you?"

"The dark and bloody people, no. The history, yes. I love learning history."

He rolled his eyes and replied nonchalantly,

"Good for you." 

"Is that all you like to do? Brood and act tough?"

Kai walked past her,

"Excuse me if I don't like to jump for joy as much as my teammates do."

"I didn't mean anything bad by that. I mean, look at how I treat the rest of my team!"

Kai didn't answer. Instead he stared at another painting on the wall. It was a scenic picture of a view of Russia from the top of an airplane. And in the middle of the picture was the all too familiar Balkov Abbey.

"Do you recognize that place?" Trish came up behind him once again, "That's-"

"Balkov Abbey. Yeah, I know." Kai stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up at the clock, "I think we better go: the tournament should be starting soon."

"Do you know Balkov Abbey?" Trish asked as they walked through the halls.

"Of course I do. I used to grow up there. I thought you already knew that, though?"

"Well, yeah, I did. But that's only because I--I grew up there too."

Kai stopped in surprise and turned around,

"That's funny. I'm sure I would've recognized you."

"Boris--" she flushed a little in embarrassment, "I was Boris' little secret. Girls were a sign of weakness for Balkov Abbey, but he allowed me to learn anyway."

Kai watched her face before turning around,

"I don't think so."

"What?" She demanded in astonishment.

"Boris doesn't just _let_ you learn how to Beyblade at Balkov Abbey. But you did grow up there. So, why did Boris teach you? You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"Hmmm," she smiled in satisfaction, "I guess I don't give you enough credit for being pretty smart."

"So are you going to tell me what you're hiding, then?"

"No," she opened the door and the freezing wind cut into Kai like ice, "I just said I don't give you enough credit."

He walked off in the direction of the stadium and by way of goodbye said,

"I'll find out what it is sooner or later, you know that?" 

"Yes," she waited until he was far enough ahead of her in the street before she whispered more to herself, "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do, Hiwatari."

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"Aww, look, he's hungry." Tyson was watching Cheese try to scramble out of Max' hands towards the food on his plate. The table was full again, the only exception of those missing being Ray and Kai. 

"Here you can hold him. I need to eat."

Tyson took Cheese and fed him some bacon straps,

"Hey, he likes me!" Cheese whipped his tail excitedly.

"That's cause you fed him," Kenny explained.

"Want to hold him, chief?"

Kenny looked a little disgusted,

"No thank you, Tyson. I don't like mice that much. Or rodents for that matter."

"Shhh! You'll offend him," Tyson rubbed his index finger against Cheese' tiny ears.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, it's not like he knows what you're talking about," Dizzi sighed from Kenny's laptop.

"All right boys, listen up. I was going to wait for Ray and Kai to be here, but I doubt they'll show up," Mr. Dickinson stood up to finally introduce the woman enjoying a salad next to him, "This here is Rochelle Llewellyn."

"Hi there," she smiled excitedly, speaking for the first time in a heavy British accent, "I'm an old friend of Mr. Dickinson'."

"That's right. She's a foreign affairs specialist from England. She's going to help you boys get the best of your experience in these cities. And as a close associate, she can give us easier access to any sight."

"Wow…" Max thought dreamily, "That's cool."

"Is she going to be traveling with us?" Tyson asked, handing Cheese back to Max.

"No, I'm actually traveling with the Superiors."

"The Superiors?" Chief asked, "Who're they? I haven't heard of them."

"That's because I just organized their group. They're beginners in Group A, but they're trained extremely well, so watch out. They're with my husband right now in Ireland."

"Sorry, lady, but we're the best of the best." Tyson grinned proudly.

"Tyson, we don't have _anything _on this team. They could be another White Tiger or All-Star team; they could be like the Wild Cheetahs." Kenny began to search around on Dizzi. He proceeded to create a new file for the Superiors.

"Nope!" Tyson's grandfather stated firmly, "No one could possibly be better than _my_ _grandson_!"

"That's right!" Tyson grinned enthusiastically.

"_However_," Rochelle broke in, "I'm also a board member and representative for the BBA so I have to be available to all teams. That's how I know Mr. Dickinson-I work for him. After all, the purpose of holding these battles in many different countries was to make sure the teams could see the many different sights and landscapes available in Europe."

"In other words, a promotion tournament for Europe," Kenny summarized.

"No and yes, in some ways," she smiled, "It is still a World Tournament to pick out the best for the best and the many different atmospheres and climates are also a challenge to each team."

Max sat back, "So, what can you do for us?"

"Anything you want. I deal mainly with the attractions and sights at each location. There are others like Mr. Dickinson here that work on the actual tournament."

"Can I climb Mount Everest?" Tyson asked.

"No. Because it's in Asia and it would be too much of a liability risk. Meaning, someone will get hurt." 

Mr. Dickinson grinned proudly,

"See? What'd I tell you?"

"Can you get us into some castles?" Tyson asked excitedly.

"Now I can help you there. After the tournament, I know a bunch right off the edge of town that I can get you into right away. There's a lot of history to be gathered there."

"San Lorenzo sounds interesting, too." Kenny scoured the internet.

"Oh, goodness, yes. I think that'd be much more worth your interest."

"Really?" Kenny looked excited.

"More than touring castles?" Tyson looked shocked, "You've got to be joking me!"

"Actually, San Lorenzo has been standing since 1300 B.C. It's fascinating!" Kenny grinned.

"Bo-oring! Are we going to pull another 'educational' Paris tour here?" Tyson moaned.

"Why don't we go to San Lorenzo and then head over to the Castles after the match? That way we can do both." Rochelle suggested, "I'll be your tour guide."

"Yeah, that sounds good," said Max.

"Oh, all right," Tyson gave in.

"Fabulous!" Mr. Dickinson leaned on his cane, "It looks like we've finally come to an agreement! Oh, and look, here's Ray!"

Ray walked through the doors of the restaurant and found them waving at him from the corner booth,

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Finally! We were beginning to think you wouldn't show up for the match at all!" Tyson exclaimed.

"Ray, this is someone I'd like you to meet, Mrs. Rochelle Llewellyn."

Rochelle was smiling kindly at him.

He took the hand she offered politely, but he couldn't help staring. _Rochelle_…that was the name of the woman that kept popping into his mind. Why out of all the years in his life was he suddenly starting to have an outbreak of very unfamiliar memories?

"Have I met you before?" he asked, a little confused, "I swear I've seen you somewhere else."

She looked a little surprised, but her face also seemed to show…_fear?_

"Umm…I'm afraid you might have me confused for someone else. I'm a board member of the BBA-maybe that's why I look familiar."

"No, that's not it," he took a seat and lied, "But I don't care anyway."

"We're going to see castles, Ray! Isn't that so awesome!?" Max grinned, changing the subject. 

"That sounds like fun," Ray ordered some pasta.

"We better go to the stadium. Kai can't do all the work, now can he?" Mr. Dickinson joked.

"That sourpuss won't do anything," Tyson muttered.

"Who're we playing?" Kenny asked.

"The Dark Bladers." Mr. Dickinson grinned.

"Really?" Tyson asked, "Finally! Some _real_ competition!"

"That's odd," Kenny frowned, "They've never competed before. And the Majestic's never entered a competition either. Maybe they're just vying to get their titles back."

"Better keep your guard up, then," Grandpa suggested.

"Yeah, grandpa-we know," Tyson muttered frustratedly.

'Better hurry up, Ray," Max got up, tucking Cheese into his overall pocket, "You're battling today."

"Got it," Ray smiled, "I'll meet you at the match. I just need to scarf something down first."

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"You idiots!" 

Tala frowned,

"Hello Trish. Have a problem?"

"Yes! I have a problem-you should be thanking my sorry rear that he didn't follow you all the way."

"Take a deep breath, and then tell us what in the world you're talking about," Ian leaned forward behind Tala to listen more closely to her words as the Beyblade stadium began to fill around them. It was shaped like an ice-hockey arena, enclosed, with large screens all around depicting the battle arena below.

"_You_obviously weren't listening when Boris told you to keep a watch on me. Thankfully, I was watching Kai."

"Good for you," Tala snarled.

"_Kai_-" Trish ignored his statement, "-followed you all the way out of the restaurant and almost succeeded in seeing you purchase the-er, _thing_, but of course, you idiots couldn't even hear him. I had to take him to _an art museum_ to distract him. Don't-!" She saw the evil grin on Ian's face, "Don't you say a word!"

"Sorry," Tala apologized, "Good work distracting him."

"Thank you," she eyed them both, "As far as you are concerned, I was never here."

"Of course you weren't," Tala faced forward, taking her lead.

She got up and proceeded to walk down the aisle.

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"Where have you been?" Kai asked in his coarse voice.

Tyson's shoulders sagged automatically at the sight of the blue-haired boy in their backroom,

"Kai? On-time? _Early?_ Wow, I've got to take a picture-I must remember this!" He tried grabbing the camera from around Mr. Dickinson's neck, but he frowned disapprovingly,

"Not _now_, Tyson! You're up first! You must focus on your match with Sinotaph!"

"Ahh-no sweat. I'll beat him easily-"

"_So you still_ think you're the best, _don't you_? You're gonna _lose_ that way," Kai interrupted icily, folding his arms.

"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway?" Tyson demanded.

"I have to agree with Kai, Tyson. You're letting the World Championships get to your head. And the Dark Bladers are the least of our worries. If we lose, we're definitely not prepared to face off against the Majestics or the Demolition Boys," said Kenny.

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"Where is _Ray_? That boy better get here before Tyson finishes," Mr. Dickinson placed his cane firmly on the floor.

"_If_ Tyson finishes, that is," Max pointed out, "What we should worry about is whether Tyson will win or not."

"Teams to the Stadium!" A voice rang out through the empty hallway, "All the teams to the stadium for the battle!"

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A girl with brown hair walked importantly through the streets of Milan, her head stuck in a book titled _Welcome to Italy; your #1 travel guide!_

She paused at a bakery and bought a donut before placing her book in a knapsack and wandering around, her eyes never resting on one thing for more than a second. 

She walked up to an old man,

"Excuse me, sir, but do you know where I can find stuff on Bleyblade?"

"Huh?" The man looked up and squinted.

"Bleyblade. Do you know where I can find Tyson, the world class blader?"

"Yep! Why in my day, those _world class_ bagels were-"

"No, no, no!" She grabbed her hair in frustration and tried it again with a younger looking couple, but after a few minutes, she shuddered at their touchy-feely actions and walked away. All up and down the street she asked the same question,

"Do you know anything about Bleyblade or have you see Tyson: he has a spin-top thing called Dragoon-?"

Finally she got a reaction.

"You mean Beyblade?"

"Yes! Yes that's it! Do you know where I can find a kid named Tyson? He's a blader."

"Sure-he's battling right now. Up there!"

She pointed above her head. She spun around and saw Tyson battling a dark man wrapped in cloth. It was a large screen in the middle of town following the match and a crowd had gathered below to watch. She moved closer, and tapped a girl on the shoulder,

"Do you know where that's taking place?" She meant the match.

"Down this street four blocks. It's across a big lawn and the place is big and round-you can't miss it!"

"Thanks very much!"

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Mobekai slowly opened the door marked _The Bladebreakers_. It was quiet, but the lights were still on. All of them were too occupied with the match outside between Tyson and Sinotaph of the Dark Bladers, seeing as Tyson wasn't doing so well. He opened the first locker and saw a smelly old sock and a red bag, with a long tapered stick coming out. The bag was marked _Tyson._ He opened the adjacent locker and saw a green bag labeled _Max_. The next locker belonged to Kai, seeing how it was so neat and properly placed, with Kai's blue bag labeling his name. 

There were only two lockers left and he assumed the half-open one with computer wires sticking out was Kenny's, the genius, so the one before had to be Ray's. 

Ray's bag was black and his name was labeled in white across the top. He reached inside and pulled out a blade-Ray's Driger. He looked at it carefully, almost hesitantly and then as if remembering something, stuck it firmly in his pocket. He was about to close the bag, but stopped and reached down to pull out a lavender blouse. _Why would he be carrying a blouse?_ He flipped it over and realized it was labeled. One glance and he immediately stuffed it in his own satchel as well. 

As he closed the door behind him, he smiled thoughtfully,

"Tai-Ken will be pleased."

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Author's Note: NOOO! Mobekai ISN'T bad! He's just been influenced wrongly. Hope you liked? This chapter was kind of the boring interlude. I'm not too keen on writing the match between Tyson and Sinotaph, so you'll excuse me if I don't detail too much-they will face off again. Read/Review!

BTW, little spoiler: the next chapter will be called 'Fable Come True'.


	12. Fable Come True

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

HikArI-T3nShi: I can't tell you what the Er-Thing is that Trish was talking about, but I can tell you this: it's illegal and it's something Tala and Ian were retrieving for Boris. And you'll find out who the girl is soon-she's important, and she's not made up, so you can start guessing off the series. I'm so glad you liked the chapter!

Galux Kitty: (laughs) Well, that just about proves how much I know who has me on their favorites list-thank you so much! Awww….poor bloody Tala. Vforce is just the new name for Beyblade 2002. You must've seen all of them then since you know what happens in the 3rd season and because you're already well familiar with Tyson/Hilary. The 2nd season only just started airing here, so it looks like you're way ahead of the game! 

Suzuran: Yea! New reader/reviewer! No, Mobekai is definitely not bad. I'm so glad you like my story~!

kaz: I know you've attached to Mobekai so much if you can't get mad at him no matter what! And I love that so thank you! I can't wait for the r/m either!~(; Sadly, I wish I was further along to start the flirting.

neko-neko(): Yep, I DEFINITELY have to agree with you there-Mobekai/Mariah is so not stupid…but Ray/Mariah is going to be better: *just you wait*. There'll be a LOT more Mobekai and Mariah-you'll love the next chapter; thanks for the encouragement! I'll remind Tyson he's an idiot (^grins^).

Ice Archer Girl: (laughs) Yeah, I should put him in a school bus full of children next. Ahhh, poor Kai. I just love torturing him! And Mobekai is nice, but he's connected to the wrong people! J thanks for all the compliments! 

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Cool Quotes:

"Oh, Ray, I don't care what happens! My feelings for you will never change…never. Not until the end of time."

-Mariah in Bye Bye Bitbeast

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Authors Note: I apologize specifically to my friend Lauren for not putting a muse commentary in the beginning of my last chapter because I know she likes those a lot~(wink_+). 

Just a little pre-warning, this chapter is a little shorter than usual and has a TERRIBLE cliff-hanger-I am SO sorry!

But this is going to be a great chapter and probably my favorite to write so far!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

__

Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs. 

*Ray*: I don't think they'll like this part.

*Trish*: Oh, shut-up. That's just cause you get sapped badly.

*Ray*: You're the bad girl, remember?

*Trish*: (flipping hair) Yeah, I know.

*SecretQuill*: Hey guys, I want to change my name. What do you think of Galandria?

*Ray*: Er…

*Trish*: You tell her.

*Ray*: No. You're definitely not a Galandria.

*SecretQuill*: How about Michelle?

*Trish*: Nope.

*SecretQuill*: Alexa?

*Trish*: (glaring) No.

*SecretQuill*: How about Lisel?

*Trish*: How about "She who annoys the crap out of me?"

*SecretQuill*: No, I don't like that one.

*Trish*: (Falls down anime style)

*Ray*: (sighs) I SO need to get a guy over here. All this whining is giving me a headache.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 12: Fable Come True

"Don't make me pull out my bit-beast!" Tyson growled angrily.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats," hissed Sinotaph, "I'm winning this battle right now."

Sinotaph was tailing Tyson like crazy, pulling back every few seconds before slamming against Dragoon like crazy. His mummy bit-beast suddenly lurched forward, rolls of paper streaming up out of the center of his beyblade. 

"Dragoon, dodge him!"

Dragoon moved to the side, and the rolls followed his blade with every intention to wrap it up. Sinotaph's blade was moving more quickly and with more ease than ever.

"Just give it up, Tyson. You may have won the last World Tournament, but now that we're competing, you don't stand a chance." Sinotaph sneered.

"Keep your head in it boy!" Grandpa yelled from behind, "Don't let him taunt you like that! It's just a game!"

"No…it's more than that now!" Tyson's face twisted angrily and his fist came up, "DRAGOON ATTACK!"

A ball of light blue appeared spinning fast above Tyson's blade and Dragoon appeared, roaring with anxiety at finally being able to fly free. Winds picked up around the edge of the stadium as Tyson's Storm attack kicked into action.

"Yeah! Now you're mummy's toast!" Tyson replied a little more confidently.

"I don't think so. Look for yourself."

Tyson gazed forward resentfully and saw that although his storm was fully up and blowing, it had no affect whatsoever on Sinotaph's mummy.

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He's not here. Where is he? If he doesn't show up, they'll have to forfeit the battle!

Mariah, instead of watching Tyson's battle with Sinotaph, was scanning the rest of the building for any sign of Ray. She needed to talk to him.

__

He can't be far and he's never missed a match. Even the last time he was this late, he still arrived at the end of the battle and Tyson's near done. Yet, there seems to be no sign of him.

She put the binoculars down and stuffed them into Kevin's hands,

"Here you go."

She got up and stumbled over Gary and Lee.

"Where are you going?" Lee tore his eyes away from the match to puzzle at her sudden flight.

"I have to go see something. I'll be back in a little while."

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"Don't give up, Tyson! You can do this!" Kira yelled.

"Yeah, if he concentrates-hey, where are you going?" 

Mobekai hadn't been watching the match either. He'd been watching Mariah the whole time and noticed that she had mysteriously decided to leave the beystadium. 

"Mobekai?" 

"Just a moment. Hold this," he placed a tightly wrapped bundle in Danika's arms.

He squeezed past them and ran down the stadium steps two at a time. He ran through the section barriers and sprinted down the halls surrounding the stadium before he came upon the entrance sign. 

He pirouetted around the corner and came face to face with the widest open section overlooking the stadium below. 

And just stepping off the last step and turning the corner was Mariah.

"Mariah!"

Her eyes opened wide in surprise, but she turned away and pretended to not have seen him.

"Mariah, I need to speak to you. Please turn and face me!" Mobekai grabbed her arm.

"Please, Mobekai. Not now."

"Yes, Mariah, I need to know what's going on between us. You can't possibly think you can get Ray to like you by telling him you have loved him for two years." Mobekai spat bitterly. 

Mariah's arm tensed,

"Since I have only known you for four days, Mobekai, can you please stop pretending you know so much about me?"

__

Ouch. That hurt so much. Mobekai let his arm drop in sorrow. Her words had sunk in deep and she knew it,

"Look, Mobekai, I like you and I'm willing to make it more, but I don't want to let go of someone I've valued for a long time. I just need time to sort everything out."

"I'm not going to be your backup plan, Mariah. Or your second choice. I don't want you to become my girlfriend if you're still in love with Ray. Either you're willing to go all the way…or you're not."

"And that's why I need time to figure out who I love more. I'm not going to see whether Ray will give me a chance and if he doesn't, I'll go for you. I just want to see if I _have_ a chance with him, because if I never tell him, I'll never know."

"You're still in love with him, Mariah. You'll never forget it. How can you love me and him at the same time? I don't want you to see if you have a chance with him. I want you to give _me_ a chance. _I _want to be your first choice. I don't even want to hear about how you fell in love with Ray in the first place."

Mariah stared, her eyes shining more brilliantly at the emotions that had emanated in his words.

"I love you, Mobekai. You've been nothing but wonderful and lovely to me. But I need time. Time to either let go of my recent crush or to decide whether I should really let you in my life…and I'll tell you my decision when the time comes. I won't be forced to make a decision."

Mobekai didn't respond. Cheers erupted from the adjacent stadium.

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__

Colby thought at first that she was dreaming when she saw the white hare, but as she reached out to touch it, she could feel the soft fur in her hands and feel the resonance of the ground shaking as it stamped it's foot importantly. It was so pretty. 

She saw white tremor lines expand from the heart of the rabbit and as they disappeared beyond her sight, the scene began to darken.

She wrenched opened her eyes, her hands straight in the air above her, grasping something the normal eye couldn't see. 

She was no longer hot. She reached up and felt her throat and it did not hurt at her touch. Somehow, someway, she was no longer sick. She was sure it was because of the medicine and the rest, but as she closed her eyes peacefully again, she could see the rabbit reappear in her minds eye, more 3D and real looking than ever before. It winked at her before hopping across the open snowy expanse. It had cured her. She…she knew it sounded weird and she spoke it clearly aloud just to make definite sure. When she spoke, her voice was no longer hoarse and choppy, but perfectly clear,

"The white hare cured me. The symbol of medicine and health-it cured me."

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"This battle is just beginning to unwind, so prepare yourself for defeat!" Sinotaph declared.

"Never! I'll never lose here! Not against you, you paper freak!" Tyson's confidence wavered and he called Dragoon to just keep attacking Sinotaph by direct blows.

Sinotaph began to laugh and squeezed out in his always hoarse voice,

"You're not dealing damage at all. You can always hit paper, but unless you stab it, it won't break …and you can't stab my mummy unless you have arrows or a sword somewhere in those dragon scales of yours."

"Tyson!" He turned and saw Kai had stepped forward, actually willing to give advice, "Remember the alleyway in Europe when we first met Sinotaph?"

"Yeah…" Tyson wondered what that had to do with anything.

"Think, Tyson. Think about it."

Tyson turned back and took in the two blades spinning furiously against each other, the determination of each blader never wading in confidence, the roaring winds of Tyson's phantom hurricane attack and the dreadful looking mummy locked in battle with Tyson's ever loyal Dragoon.

__

That's right…When the four of them…Max, Kenny, Ray and himself had met Sinotaph he'd defeated each of their blades slowly until Kai came along. He'd twisted through all the stair spirals and boxes so that the mummy wraps were so tangled up, the blade could no longer move at all and his mummy was defeated. 

"Okay, Dragoon, listen up!" Tyson yelled, fists clenched again in victorious determination, "We're going to 'wrap' this battle up a bit!"

Tyson willed Dragoon to flee from Sinotaph and just like Tyson predicted, the mummy followed. He willed Dragoon to start fleeing in and out of his storm attack, barely brushing the edge of the stadium.

"A figure eight, Dragoon! Now do a star formation!"

"What do you think you're doing!?" Sinotaph roared, but Tyson was pleased to hear a little bit of frustration, "You're only wearing down your blade more than is necessary!"

"Wrong again, Sinotaph, this blade is all under 'wraps' and I think I've just won. Have a look!"

Sinotaph glanced briefly down at the stadium and gasped in disbelief. His mummy had completely tangled himself around the base of his blade chip and it fell after the base of the blade hit the mummy wraps and tripped.

"No! It can't be!" Sinotaph cried. 

He straightened and a weird grin spread across his lined face,

"Very well then. You've managed to keep your skills. But we'll improve and you'll be facing us again after we defeat the beginners. You haven't seen the last of us, Tyson."

"Very well then. And when we meet you again, we'll be ready for it."

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__

Shoot! I'm late! I'm so stinking late!

Ray ran across an open expanse of grass toward the Beyblade stadium. Above the stadium was a large, digitally flat screen showing the match inside. It was surrounded by digital speakers.

Ray had stayed for something to eat, but traffic had slowed his taxi and he was dropped off three blocks from where he was supposed to have been so he could run the rest of the way.

He could see Tyson, Max, and the chief cheering briefly on the digital screen. Kai, of course, was sulking in the corner. But after a few minutes, looks of worry came upon their faces and Jazzy announced to the crowd,

"After a stunning victory out of Tyson from the defending champs, the Bladebreakers, they are left without their second battler, Ray. If he doesn't show up within the next ten minutes, they will have to find a replacement Beyblader."

Ray could already see Kenny starting to talk Max into strategies, preparing to take his place. 

He ran harder, watching the screen so intently that he did not see the person in front of him until it was too late. He ran into someone, hitting his forehead hard and knocking both of them to the ground.

She had obviously not been paying attention either, rubbing her head and looking up to see who had run into her. He felt even worse when he saw who it was,

"Oh Mariah! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you and I was in a hurry-"

He helped her up, madly red with embarrassment.

"It's okay. I understand."

"I better get going." He made to leave again, but she grabbed his arm and he turned, a little surprised,

"No, Ray. I need to talk to you."

He looked up at the screen and then back to her in astonishment,

"_Now?_ Mariah, I have ten minutes; they're counting on me…"

"It's important," she pleaded. 

He saw the urgency and frustration etched in her face, but he also could see the worry in his teammates face,

"This can't wait until after the match?"

"How come we never talk much like we used to, Ray?"

__

All right, that's a good subject.

He sighed and gestured to the stadium

"Okay, how about if we take a walk then while we talk?"

She walked with him and after a few minutes of careful thought muttered,

"Things have changed, Ray. We're not the close friends I thought we were."

"We _are_ good friends, Mariah. And we do talk, but-"

"But because you're on a separate team it's a lot harder to do it as often as we used to. But being on separate teams has also created a large rift. I don't think I know you anymore. I can never confide in you because you're never around."

Ray remembered seeing Mariah and Mobekai in the garden, still a little bitter about being left in the dark,

"You can always confide in me, Mariah, because I know everything about you. I always have, because we grew up together. But I think sometimes you just don't want to confide in me. I'm not the only one keeping secrets now."

"I'll tell you everything if you want, but I can't confide everything to you. We're not schoolchildren or neighbors anymore, Ray. And I don't think you know me as well as you think you do or you'd know that I keep secrets because I'm afraid to tell you."

"Ray's got only two minutes left or it looks like Max will step into the stadium."

It had gone so quiet between them, that he could hear Jazzy's voice echoing above him on the digital screen. The reality of the match suddenly appeared in his mind,

"Mariah, I want to talk to you some more about this, but I've got to get to the match or I'll never get to battle."

"It's always later, isn't it?"

__

Why do girls always have to be so dramatic about everything?

Ray stopped walking right outside the stadium entrance,

"Look, Mariah, I can't do that much about how often we communicate. We just need to start working on it, more. I'm sorry if I'm not doing as good of a job as you think I should and if I can change anything, I will."

"Come back to the White Tigers, Ray," Mariah pleaded.

"We've been through this before, Mariah. Please don't bring it up again. I'll always be your close friend. You know that."

"But Ray, would you ever-I mean, would you ever want to be something…more?"

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Final Note: 

AHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh! I know, kill me, drown me, throw me off a cliff: it's inevitable you will all hate me for ending it there…or you might like it. I guess everything is open for speculation now!


	13. Sealed with a Kiss

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

kaz: (blushes) Aww, thanks!~I want to be a writer when I grow up so I'm so excited you like my writing! You know that feeling you get when you have to do or say something immediately and you get really anxious until you actually do it? That's kind of what Mariah's going through. J 

HikArI-T3nShi: Yeah, I'm having a problem with the battles. Have you noticed they win every time? At first I had good excuse-the other bladers were pretty pathetic, but I had to make the BB team win this one. If they lost, they'd be playing against the Beginners, which means I'd have to get rid of the White Tigers and the All-Stars pretty quickly. And we don't want that to happen, do we? And I totally agree with you that Tyson actually looks cuter than Kai in the V-Force season. (;

Galux Kitty: I'd help you if I could, but I don't know what a lemon fic is. Actually, for how long I've been on this site, I only just figured out that OOC meant "Out of Character". And when is Ray rude to Mobekai? They never even come into contact. But I want to thank you because I think you're the only one that **doesn't **care about it-the only one that still favors Ray/Mariah! Yea! Double yea!J 

Suzuran: (cries) Oh no! You've only reviewed twice and you already hate Ray!? What have I done?! Hehe-aren't guys always heartless idiots? Sorry if that sounds harsh-I don't actually mean it. We love them and we hate them, eh?

neko-neko(): NOOO! If you kill Ray, I won't be able to finish the rest of the story and then I'll have to put Mobekai with Mariah. Actually, that's probably what you want since you favor that pairing, huh? 

****

Authors Note: 

Poor Ray-he hasn't done anything and he's already up for public murder because everyone feels bad for Mobekai! He's just a little clueless, because he views Mariah as a friend still. If only he knew, if only…

But I really do have to agree that I felt so bad for Mobekai in the last chapter. Man, if any guy made me his second choice, I'd whack him over the head and kill the girl. 

But Mobekai isn't Mariah' second choice, you know? She just wanted to see if Ray was interested in making their relationship more. But she still loves Mobekai as much.

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

By the way, the gang is 14 in the series cause they are in 8th grade, so 2 years later: that would make almost all of them about 16-a right good age to start having feelings for the opposite sex.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs. 

*Michelle*: Oh no you don't! Just where do you think **you're** going?

*Ray*: AHHHH! Who are you? Trish! SecretQuill! Help! Some weird girl is in-

*Michelle*: (Whack!) It's **me** you idiot! SecretQuill! I changed my name cause Michelle sounds more human.

*Ray*: Oh. Hi. Did you really change your name? Hehehe…help?! 

*Michelle*: I **don't** think so. Trying to sneak off, huh?

*Ray*: I don't know what you're talking about.

*Michelle*: Oh, don't deny it. You're staying here with me.

*Ray*: I'm going to go insane if I stay here with you two girls, I swear! And I'm really missing the rest of the Bladebreakers. I bet Kenny's discovered something fascinating and Max has a story to tell. Let's invite them over!

*Michelle*: (frowning) Let's not. You'll try and escape with them. But if you're that longely, I'll just send Kai right over.

*Trish*: NO! Please! Anyone but him!

*Michelle*: Hehehehe…torture victims.

*Ray*: I really hate it when you screw your face up like that.

*Michelle*: (Whack!) **Some** people just don't know when to shut up.

*Ray*: You can't keep me captive here forever!

*Michelle*: How long is forever again? I forgot.

*Ray*: AHHHHHH!

*Michelle*: (sighs) You'll just have to get used to it. You'll never escape me, because you're my #1 priority!

*Trish*: Hey!

*Ray*: (wrenching hair) glad…to…hear…it!!!

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 13: Sealed with a Kiss

"Come back to the White Tigers, Ray," Mariah pleaded.

"We've been through this before, Mariah. Please don't bring it up again. I'll always be your close friend. You know that."

"But Ray, would you ever-I mean, would you ever want to be something…more?"

He stared so thunderstruck at her. The question had come out of left field in his mind. He wasn't sure how she had plucked that deduction out of the conversation they'd just been having. Or why the thought had even entered her mind in the first place that they could be something more?

Ray must not have been seeing what he thought he saw in the garden this morning because he was sure only an hour ago she'd been kissing Mobekai and if that was the case, there was no way she would be asking him this. Was she serious?

She saw the confusion on his face and suddenly laughed, her face brightening,

"Joking…" she gasped, though it sounded quite forced, "I was only joking, Ray. Lighten up." 

__

But was she? Maybe she was serious about the whole thing. It didn't make sense. If she'd been joking the entire time, she wouldn't have looked so sullen and serious. Had it really been a current possibility in her mind and was it the reason she'd held back for so long? He wondered if she'd only been covering up. 

Her face turned long,

"But I'm quite serious about before. I really want you to come back to the White Tigers, Ray. We need you so much. We miss you. I know it sounded so out of place, especially with the conversation we were having-that's why I added the other question-but I miss blading with you, really."

He didn't answer her though. He didn't know what to say. She was quite red in the face as they entered the stadium, which immediately erupted into cheers.

"Finally! Ray's showed up and the battles will continue. Facing Ray will be Zom the Zombie from the Dark Bladers!"

"RAY!!" Kenny and Tyson waved him down furiously.

"Ray?" He turned and saw Mariah staring at him in reaction.

He still didn't know what to say, so he stared at the ground until the words came to him.

"I-I've made my decision, Mariah. I made it a long time ago when you offered me the same ultimatum. I'm sorry. I-can't let my team down."

"Like you did a long time ago?" She harshly asked.

"It's not like that Mariah! I'm still every bit a part of the White Tigers as you are-we're still best friends, but I can have more friends too. I like talking to you Mariah-I'll never stop being your friend. But lately, I feel like you've been acting like the jealous friend for a while. Can't I still talk to you even though I'm not on your team? It's not like we're severing ties completely. It's just that I've felt like I could do better in Beyblade and when I'm with the Bladebreakers, I battle my best. I feel like I belong there. I-don't think I could put into words what they've done for me as a blader. But it could never-never cut the relationship I have with you guys. We grew up together-I gave you your first blade. I couldn't forget memories like that."

"Yeah, we had fun, didn't we? Maybe it's my fault-I've never bothered to come and talk to you about all this before and we kind of distanced ourselves, you know? I don't know you as much as I thought I did and vice versa. But we could start over again. I'm not mad anymore, really. I was just giving it one more shot. But you've made your decision--and--I'm okay with that…really. I know what it's like being forced to make a decision."

"Please don't be mad at me, Mariah. I didn't know you were upset because we never talked."

"I'm not mad at you. I never was. I won't ask you anymore about it, Ray, okay? I told you I'm fine," Mariah demanded, feeling a little embarrassed and trying to make it sound like she knew what she was doing, "Now go down and win the match! Everyone's counting on you, so don't screw it up, okay?" 

She winked, trying to look happy, turned, and disappeared into the crowd. In truth, she really wasn't upset about Ray not joining the White Tigers. Well, she was, but that wasn't what she'd wanted to approach him about. She knew now he'd never join back as she'd been asking him the same question for almost three years. It'd been a cover-up for the real reason she'd approached him. She'd seen the look of surprise on his face and had panicked. He wasn't ready to hear that from her. And she'd gotten her answer. The only good thing about the entire conversation was that they had been talking about things that mattered to both of them-something they hadn't done for a while: talking like two good best friends. And that topic really was something that had been on her mind; she was glad they could talk it over…but not as boyfriend and girlfriend. She smiled. Maybe it was better that way.

A rush of anxiety entered Ray's heart at having to part on that note. He felt like an idiot not having figured out that the silence between them was because neither had actually approached the other. And he'd enjoyed talking with her. But reality came rushing back hard as the frantic calls of Tyson, Kenny and Max called his name once again below.

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When Mobekai saw Mariah enter the stadium with Ray, his heart dropped. So she'd made her decision. Mobekai wasn't going to continue trying to steal her heart if she was still stuck on Ray.

He _hated_ Ray. He didn't know much about him, but Mariah's obsession with him had turned his friendly acknowledgment of him into pure jealous hatred.

He clutched the sealed package in his hand that he had handed earlier to Danika and feeling slightly guilty, thought _I just have to hand this over to Tai-Ken and then who can dare say it was I that took it?_

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"Finally! What kept you?!"

"Traffic-I ran into a few problems; I'm sorry." 

They were inside their official backstage room and Ray was rummaging through his stuff.

"C'mon, we've only got another minute," Max had one hand on the door handle.

Ray looked everywhere-even in the most unusual places. He dumped his bag on the ground and then began to tear stuff out of his locker.

"Gee, Ray," Tyson dodged a shoe, "Could you watch where you are throwing stuff?"

"Ray, _what are you doing?_ We need to work on your strategy for this match!" Kenny cried, "We don't have much more time before this battle starts and everyone is already upset you delayed us once!"

Ray, seeing as it wasn't in his locker, began to open the drawers of the only desk in the room. Maybe he'd placed it there and he couldn't remember, but every single one was open. 

Then he moved to the chief's locker in exasperation,

"Aahhhhh, Ray!" Chief moved to block it, "Don't you go through my stuff!

"Sorry, Chief…" Ray apologized, turned again and began to turn over chairs, his face screwed up in utter concentration.

"Ray, what are you looking for?" Max let go of the door and moved forward.

"I can't find him…" he croaked, "Why do I always have to lose my blade!?!?"

Tyson and the Chief stared in horror and Kenny voiced everyone else's thoughts,

"You've lost your blade?"

"Yes!" Ray turned, looking quite helpless, "I swear I put it in my bag, but it's nowhere! I can't seem to find it! How could this happen?" He sat down heavily on the bench.

"I'll blade then." Kai stepped up, "Seeing as the rest of you aren't prepared."

"Hey! I can battle!" Max defended.

"You're going next," Kai walked up to the bench and stopped right in front of Ray, "You should be ashamed of yourself. You weren't there to discuss strategy, you made your team late, we've had to keep an entire stadium of people waiting and you can't even keep track of the one thing that should mean the most to you: your beyblade. That's pathetic."

Tyson's fists clenched, 

"Hey, Kai, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"It's true, though," Ray hung his head miserably, "I'm so sorry."

"Just make sure you don't do it again. You better have found that blade before the next time we battle. How can we trust you to win for us if you can't even be responsible with your own bit-beast?"

"I said I was sorry," Ray defended, "I can't believe my blade would just disappear!"

"It will show up Ray. Driger always does. And you should have the most experience, seeing as he's left you twice," Max finally opened the door.

"Thanks for bringing it up," Ray flinched.

"Sorry," Max sympathized, "The truth hurts."

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Emily watched Kai walk onto the field. The All-Stars were sitting low to the right of the entrance.

"Where is Ray? Why have they put Kai in?"

"Maybe he was too late," Eddy speculated.

"I'm not sure." Dr. Judy frowned, "Take notes on this match, Emily."

"I'm already on it," Emily replied, storing a mental folder as Kai lazily faced Zom. She rarely liked to take notes and left all the computer details to Judy. She stored and analyzed everything mentally and it was a great advantage in the stadium to know everything and anything without consulting team members or a laptop. Not that Kenny's laptop, Dizzi, was bad or anything.

"Umm….I don't believe it. The Bladebreakers aren't putting Ray in. Instead, captain Kai Hiwatari has stepped up to battle. Kai is one tough blader, isn't that right A.J.?" Brad Best called called.

"That's right. And he doesn't battle too often, so there must be a special occasion going on." A.J. Topper replied.

"That would be this match Topsy ("Brad, it's Topper")! It's gonna be pretty special if you ask me!"

"Well, no one asked you."

"On your marks!" The Jazzman lifted an arm and the crowd cheered, "3…2…1…Let it Rip!"

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Zom laughed as his blade began to wear down on Kai's Dranzer. _This was going to be too easy._ But there was something wrong. He'd seen the awesome power of his Dranzer and somehow...the match seemed_ too _easy.

Kai grinned,

"Is that the best you can do?"

"No! Watch this!" Zom knew Kai was taking it easy and ordered his Zombie to slam Kai's Dranzer.

Kai's Dranzer flew, but stopped right on the edge of the stadium. Zom watched with silent bated breath before Kai's Dranzer fell…back into the stadium.

Zom tried to hit Kai's Dranzer again, but Dranzer side-stepped his attack and Zom almost flew out of the stadium himself.

"I'm tired of playing cat and mice. Dranzer attack!"

Kai commanded fiercely. His blade began to glow red before the bit-chip opened and the magnificent red phoenix appeared, crying out in anger. 

"Fly Dranzer!" Kai ordered again.

The bird spread it's wings out and flew high before coming down hard right on top of Zom's spinning blade. Zom's zombie appeared out of his blade, but it was too late to react and it disappeared again. It stopped spinning underneath Dranzer.

"Kai wins this round making the Bladebreakers the champions! The Dark Bladers will get another chance to pull through against the beginners tomorrow in Austria!" A.J announced.

Kai walked back to his seat proudly.

"Oh! Very good job, Kai!" Mr. Dickinson appraised.

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Colby dressed quickly and put her hair into a ponytail so that if it rained, her wet hair wouldn't get in her face. She raced down the stairs and almost ran into the attendant ("Watch yourself miss!") before catching a taxi right outside the hotel. She hoped to catch some of the match before it ended, but as she rode in the taxi, she could see the BBA screens above several retail stores and knew that it was already over.

"So, what's your name?"

"Jacques. I am ze French immigraant lookin' for money. And you must be a beybladder?"

"Well, I'm not a bladder, but woui, I'm definitely a blader-Colby Peterson. Will you root for me?"

"Most certainly! Please-enjoy your stay here in Italy!"

"I will, thank you."

Halfway through town, the man suddenly slid on the brakes.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" She leaned forward curiously.

"Just ze traffic, mademoiselle. Please stay seated."

"I don't see a wreck."

"Zis probly just rush hour."

"No, it's too early for that…Wait a moment! What was that?"

She rolled her window and stuck her head out. She was sure she'd caught a glimpse of white ahead, but it must have just been her imagination. She was still stuck on the semi-dream she'd had about the white hare.

"Keep going; I'll be back!" She opened the door and walked down the line, careful not to get run over by oncoming traffic.

"Miss Cobby! I must insist yu come back where zis safe! You will be paid for zis-I will not stop ze meter!" He called out her open window.

She turned and waved merrily,

"It's fine! I'll be back soon, Jacques!"

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"Hey, Hiwatari," Kai turned around to see Trish with the rest of her team, "You did good."

"I'm glad you approve," he muttered, though he really was grateful for the compliment.

She smiled,

"Yeah, same as always."

"Hey, catch you guys later, then?" Kira smiled.

"Yeah, we will probably," Tyson responded, "We're going to beat you too."

"I wouldn't count on it," Trish shook her head.

"Bye Ray." Danika winked as they disappeared beyond the stadium. She could hear Max and Tyson's taunts to Ray behind them and smiled. The grass was full on either side with all of the people that had attended the match. She could see the All-Stars and other competing teams in the distance.

"Mobekai! Mobekai, wait up!"

Mobekai turned around next to Danika, surprised to actually hear his name being called through the roaring noise of the crowd.

Mariah Mynx was trying to make her way through the crowd. Danika was sure Mobekai would grin and try to meet her halfway, but instead he turned around and continued walking with Trish ahead as if he hadn't even seen her.

"Mobekai!" Mariah finally reached up to them and put an arm on his shoulder, "I need to talk to you!"

But he shrugged her off,

"Go away, Mariah."

"Stop being a stubborn twit!" She demanded, forcing him to face her. He looked away, pretending to admire the scenery.

"Fine! If you won't listen, then that's your problem, but at least look at me, Mobekai!"

Finally giving in, he looked down at her.

"I've made up my mind, all right? I just realized who I love more and I would like to tell you."

"I already know it's Ray so you don't have to tell me-I saw you walk in with him."

"Oh, stop having a pity party for yourself. Your pride is hurt."

"Well, excuse me for thinking it possible that you could actually love me-" Mobekai snapped angrily.

"Will you just listen? I love _you,_ Mobekai. Ray's a great friend, but I don't think he wants to be anything more and you-you are so…kind, and sweet, and so great to me, and I want to give you a chance."

"Really?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly,

"Yes, Mobekai. I choose you."

He laughed, 

"You're so dramatic."

"I know."

He grinned and kissed her back when she locked lips with him.

"Oooohhh!" Danika and Kira chorused together. Trish only raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Moby's got a girlfriend! Moby's in _love…! _Hahaha!" They began laughing and Mobekai and Mariah broke apart instantly.

"When you all are quite finished acting like children…" Trish coughed rather loudly and crossed her arms.

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Final Note: Awwww! How sweet! Darn! Gosh, I kind of want to keep Mariah and Mobekai. The poor All-Stars: where have they been in all this? So sad…


	14. Hilary and Tramper

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

kaz: Yea…I'm glad you liked that scene. I'm a little dramatic/sappy so I had a lot of fun writing that and I agree with you all the way-I like Mobekai cause he is my OC and he's pretty cute, but I'll forever love Mariah/Ray!

HikArI-T3nShi: Yea-I like you cause you're not taking such a strong side for one pairing or the other! Yep, Ray's my little idiot; but he's cool that way. I just so wish he'd waken up a littler sooner to the fact that Mariah liked him. And expect lots more chapters-I'm not even halfway through yet-they've got about 12 more places to visit and such and it's just going to get more exciting! Well, for me at least! J 

Galux Kitty: Well, I'm glad you're taking my feelings into account, but please don't stop reading! I'm not even halfway done yet and I'm a total (VERY avid) Ray/Mariah fan. I'm just adding Mobekai to stew Ray's jealousy and in my own opinion, I think its very boring if they go together straight away-there's no suspense! I didn't know you'd stop reading it though! And again, I don't know what an ICQ number is so I can't help you there.

Suzuran: Yeah, Mobekai is really with Mariah-but only for a little while. Oh, if you don't believe it now, you will later.

neko-neko(): Oh no…If I put Mariah with Ray later, you're not going to still want to kill him, are you? Thanks for reviewing; yes, yes, I know I'm great! (^grins^)

Ice Archer Girl: (laughs) haha…I can so see Robert saying that: "And you're so uncouth." No, I knew it was probably your computer-I was going to wait last chapter cause it's always the same people who review, but I really wanted to get it up. I want to put the All-Stars in, but I can't think of a reason to have them do a narrative. For now, it will be mainly BB/WT/WCH, but they become more active next chapter and I have them a bit in this one too. Thanks!

Curtis Zidane Ziraa: I really like your name. I knew a guy named Zane Curtis. No offense or anything, but it kind of reminds me of him. That's a good thing! Well, Mobekai stole the blade from Ray, so he's _probably_ not going to just hand it over and say, "Here you go!" But Ray figures it out-quite soon too: I'm guessing two more chapters from now, cause I still have other stuff I need to do. And it's not like Ray's going to go "Hey, I know who stole my blade!" There'll be a major hint that it was Mobekai. Good question though!

Also, thanks very much to the people that actually sent me an e-mail. That was very nice of you!

-angelofdarknessbabe@hotmail.com (Please don't stop reading this-it's a total Ray/Mariah, Max/Emily (I have to put Emily in more) story, but for now Mobekai's going with Mariah.) 

-diving_ivan@hotmail.com (I'm sorry-I know you didn't want me to do this, but I just had to say thanks in some way cause I really appreciated it! And I'm not allowed to e-mail people I don't know-which is very, VERY sad.)

****

Cool Quotes:

"This calls for celebration-a round of Gelatto on Kenny's dime." -Tyson

"Ahhhh! I never said I would pay for anything!"-Kenny

-Seen at the end of the Episode _Deja Vu all over again_.

****

My Naïve Corner: I STILL really need to know if Emily and Michael are brother and sister! Even a speculation would be great!

****

Authors Note: If it's the last chapter, I will tell you, believe me! No, remember, this is a _Ray/Mariah_ story! That means, _Ray_ and_ Mariah_ will get together. So Mobekai obviously won't obviously stay with Mariah. And r/m hasn't happened yet so you've got to wait a little longer.

Boy, this is going to be a long story-I'm speculating maybe 30 chapters or more. I hope you don't leave after a while if I get boring on you. I haven't even explained anything yetL . 

Yeah, I'm back to the eleven to twelve page chapter for now: it'll vary depending on what the chapter is about.

Anyway, as HikArI-T3nShi said, I have THE POWER. Right on!

****

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

Dorothea and Hope Yenog also belong to me.

BTW, don't you think the cell phone rings sound a lot more real than just _Ring_? It's to the tune of dadadumdadadum, dadadumdumdum! Hehehe…Or whatever the title of that ballad is. (; The information on San Lorenzo was taken from 

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs. 

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 14: Hilary and Tramper

"It isn't fair." Emily spoke aloud to no one in particular and lay back on the bed.

Emily felt terribly awful. As much as she enjoyed being in charge and collecting data-the team relied on her-she just hated that she had no one else to talk to besides the rest of her teammates. They were all boys, which meant they didn't really care to stick around her. She was just their "technical genius". Heck, they never even stayed together among themselves. Michael never encouraged or participated in teamwork and Steve's temper with Eddy's slowness were never a good combination either. Originally, Dr. Judy would have been spending the day with Emily but Max's father showed up and she went off with him somewhere. So Emily was back at the hotel room alone.

She wondered if she should go see a movie. Or maybe go see what the Bladebreakers were doing? Max and Kenny always enjoyed seeing her.

Or maybe even…

This _was_ after all Milan, and she was in need of some shoes. A massage would feel good too.

She grabbed her purse with a more confident attitude and walked down the hotel stairs.

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"What's going on?" Colby had finally reached the start of the long line-up of traffic. A policeman of Milan turned around,

"Stupid animal. A white hare ran out into the middle of the road and people are stopping just to look at it. I'm terribly sorry about the traffic, ma'am. We're trying to move it along as fast as we possibly can."

"A white hare?" Colby's heart began to beat faster, "Where? Can I see it?"

"Oh! Does it belong to you? It's over there. Quite a thumper, that thing-it won't stop jumping around."

She saw a small steel cage off the side of the street. A car was parked in front of it so the people in cars couldn't see the animal. Two attendants dressed all in navy blue were trying to feed and calm the animal down. Colby walked around and saw the steel cage, which contained a rather large white hare. The hare suddenly stopped jumping around and the two attendants looked up puzzled,

"We haven't been able to get it to stop all afternoon. Just who are you? Do you have authorization to be here?" the female spun around, but the policeman held up his hands,

"I think she belongs to her."

"Oh! No, no, the rabbit isn't mine!" Colby's hands shot up, "I just wanted to see it."

"That's too bad," the male attendant stood up, "Cause she'll be in the hands of the state as soon as we register her."

"How do you know she's a girl?" Colby asked, "She could very well be a he."

"Because we looked," the female looked a little irritated.

"How could you if he/she's been jumping like that?"

"Well, we'll have a look now…" the male moved forward, but the hare began his incessant hops around the cage and the male attendant jumped back in surprise.

"Jheez…I'm going to get animal control on the phone." He disappeared and the female managed to stick the carrot she'd been holding inside. The rabbit tried to bite her, but only sunk his teeth into the bar handles. The female attendant looked down disgustingly at her hands,

"I better go wash this off…"

"Todd!" The policeman moved around, "We've got quite a woman with an attitude over here and another car's blimey stopped in the middle of the road. We need you to call for some backup because it looks like the line's getting longer."

"Good grief…I'll be back in minute, girl. Don't do anything funny while I'm gone kay?"

__

Girl! Colby fumed with the insult and got down on her hands and knees to get a better look at the white hare. As soon as it saw her, it stopped bouncing immediately, and stood up slowly on it's hind legs. 

Colby inched backward, afraid it would slam against the metal opening furiously. It's eyes bugged out and stared at her. They were a pretty gold color and his fur looked slightly darkened. _He seemed to like her._

A loud noise made her jump as the man stepped out of the police car. She turned around to look at the rabbit, but the rabbit got down and suddenly jumped forward fiercely. Colby yelped and leaped backwards as the small cage toppled over.

"Just what do you think you're doing!" The man rushed forward, "Don't let it escape!"

"I wasn't letting it escape! I was just staring at it and it jumped forward, I promise!"

He flipped the cage back over and suddenly grabbed her hand,

"Hey! Let go of me!" She demanded.

"Where's the rabbit, girl?"

"Look, my name is Colby Peterson and I haven't touched that…"

But the cage was empty when he pushed it in her face and she broke off in surprise.

He grabbed her hand,

"Amelia! I need you here!" The woman rushed forward and he slowly talked to her as if he was talking to someone stupid,

"If you tell me where you've put the rabbit, I won't take you into the station. Because the rabbit is not yours and it has caused a problem, it belongs to the state, so therefore, you have just committed a crime."

"Gosh! I leave you alone for a minute and what's this-? Where's the rabbit, Edward?" The policeman ran up to the chaotic scene.

"I swear I didn't touch it!"

"All right. If you're going to play it that way, I'll have to take you up until you hand it over. You were the only one with it, so you must have it. But I'm not allowed to search you until I have a warrant," the man pushed her forward and the policeman shook his head sadly,

"I'm so sorry, child, but laws are laws so I'm going to have to take you in for an hour. You won't have to go at all if you confess to where you've taken the hare."

__

She couldn't believe that they thought she'd actually stolen the rabbit! Stupid cops!

"I _told _you-I never touched it."

"How did the rabbit disappear then? Look! The cage isn't open and it couldn't have slid through the bars!"

She could see: the cage was exactly how it was a couple of minutes ago, only, the only thing in it was an old piece of carrot.

The policeman pushed her into the police car.

"Jacques! Please, sir, I left a taxi and I must pay him for it. He needs-"

"Don't you worry-we'll take care of it. I do wish you would only just tell us where you put the rabbit. It's really not worth going in, is it?"

"I'm not being arrested am I?"

"No, no…just for questioning and Edward will need a search warrant before he can search your belongings for the rabbit-the hare _does_ belong to Italian Animal Control, you know."

"Yes, yes…"

"You may make one phone call once you are there." He tried smiling sympathetically as he got into the driver's seat, but she frowned, completely annoyed and stared reluctantly out the window at the passengers in their cars. At least they weren't being held against their will.

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"So, where exactly is this San Lorenzo?" Tyson kept trying to shade his eyes.

"There!" Kenny pointed, "I see it: it's the tall building there!"

Above many tall skyscrapers and pillars of building, was the faint spiral of a very large builing.

"It's a church," Ms. Llewellyn explained, "Besides the cathedral, it's one of Milan's tallest and most spacious."

"It's a _church?_" Tyson raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Is it Sunday already?" Ray grinned.

"It's not an active church, Ray."

They had finally reached the church of San Lorenzo. It featured a large central dome supported by half-domes. Solid support for the magnificent structure was provided by four square corner towers. The building itself was still standing, but the dark burns and many cracks gave it the appearance that it was about to collapse.

"I'll say," Tyson frowned, "This building's been through the dumps."

"It's actually a very lovely building, but repeated fires, destructions and collapses have made its interpretation nearly impossible. It was built between 450 to 475 A.D." Ms. Llewellyn dictated.

"Hey, guys, check this out!" Max stood on top of a large statue in the square in front of the church and puffed his chest out and crossed his arms, in mimic of the man. A row of Attic-Corinthian Roman columns stood on either side.

Tyson, Ray, Mr.Dickinson, Grandpa and Ms. Llewellyn laughed. 

"Perfect!" Grandpa called, "You look just like him!"

But Kenny cried out,

"MAX! Get down from there! Do you know whose statue you are standing on?"

Max looked up and grinned, patting the general's cheeks,

"Mr. Proud!" 

"_That_ happens to be the statue of emperor Constantine!"

"Hey, I want a statue-that looks cool!" Tyson walked up to the statue as Max jumped down..

"Who's that?" Ray asked.

"This cathedral was founded soon after the edict of Milan in 313 A.D. It was then that emperor Constantine granted freedom of religion to the Christians. This statue was placed in honor of him."

"That's right," Ms. Llewellyn smiled, "And the columns here were erected with materials taken from a preceding Ancient Roman building to enhance the visual effect of the church."

They walked down the columns to the front of the building and she continued,

"Both the columns and the statues survived World War II bombing because they were sandbagged from top to bottom."

"They're so old. Will they ever fall down?" Tyson wondered.

"Well, the municipality of Italy hopes not as it attracts many tourists and is a very historical and ancient place."

"Isn't ancient just a fancy word for really really old?" Max asked.

"Yep," Mr. Dickinson said from behind, "But ancient also means it's of great worth." "That's what I'm turning into, eh?" Grandpa laughed.

"The architecture of San Lorenzo is amazing. It was built in the remarkable current of early christian engineering that developed the central-plan Ancient Roman mausoleum pattern. The same pattern, where the structure is surmounted by a large dome, can also be seen in the Paleochristian baptristies, San Vitale, and Hagia Sophia, which was built when Constantinople ruled. But that period of construction ended in 560 A.D. when Northern Italy was conquered by the Longobard peoples."

"Well, it sure is an old building anyway." Ray said.

They walked inside. It was quiet as people crowded in around them with respect and awe, but they could see a room to the right, where many people were crowding.

"Gosh, the inside is just as bad as the outside," Tyson plugged his nose. 

"Dude, it stinks in here," Grandpa began sweeping cobwebs off hangings. The smell of old burnt building was stronger in the enclosed area. There were many masterpieces of art hanging on the wall, but like the stone domes outside, they too were marred by fire and age. The mosaics really only showed biblical figures.

"See that there?" Ms. Llewellyn pointed to a picture of the crucible, "That piece dates back to the fourteenth century."

"Where's the rest of it?" Max touched the empty space. The painting just…stopped halfway across.

"It was incomplete."

"Is this a fresco of the deposition?" Mr. Dickinson stood curiously in front of a well-detailed masterpiece.

"Yes, it is."

"Will you look at that!?" Grandpa said.

He was staring at the entrance to the right, where the group of people had now vanished further into the chapel, had a marble portal, decorated so brilliantly with birds, fruits and flowers.

"That mural was recycled from an Ancient Roman building. That room leads into the octagonal Sant'Aquilino chapel. The Roman Queen Galla Placidia, sister of emperor Onorius, intended it to be her mausoleum and even installed a large sarcophagus."

"You mean there's a dead person in there?" Kenny looked frightened.

"Fortunately, no. She died somewhere else. The buildings been restored. You can take stairs down to see the original chapel, where a painting of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" still hangs. But we can't enter unless we pay a fee. It's not worth it."

"WELL…" Tyson yawned and stretched his arms above his head, "That was educational."

"Why was the chapel built?" Kai asked curiously. It was the first time he had spoken for a while.

"Just like any chapel-for worship. It was used once for services."

"Soooo…what castle are we going to?" Tyson changed the subject immediately

"It is called Castello Sforzesco," Mr. Dickinson said, "It's on the outskirts of town."

"Is it big?" Tyson asked.

"Yes."

"Is it ancient and popular?" Max asked.

"Yes!"

"Has it got suits of armor and chandeliers?" Ray asked

"Oh my, yes yes!"

"Great!" Max grinned, "To the castle we go!"

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"Oh, gosh! PLEASE stop holding hands like that; I _am going to barf_…" Danika held her stomach nauseously. 

Mobekai dropped Mariah's hand. Mariah could feel cold wind touch the palm of her hand. She looked up at a clock tower visible above buildings across the street and sadly said,

"I guess I better go. The others'll be looking for me."

"Have fun; maybe we'll see you later," Kira smiled merrily.

"Bye Mobekai." She kissed his cheek, "I'll see you-"

__

Dingaling, dingaling, ding a ling ling ling! Ding a ling, ding a ling, ding a ling LING ling!

"Oh!" Danika rummaged in her purse and held up her pride and joy: her cell phone.

"Hi, this is Danika." Danika grinned, pulling a little antenna up.

#Hey Danika! Did the Bladebreakers win?#

"Colby? You called me just for that! Darn, girl, you'll waste my batteries! I'll see you in just a-"

#No, Danika! Whatever you do, don't hang up. Ummm-I'm not sick anymore.#

"That's great. But again, why can't you just tell me when we get to the-?"

#I'm not at the hotel right now, Danika. I--was on my way to the match and…#

"And…?" Danika encouraged.

#Well, I kind of ran into the Federal Italian Animal Control…and, and they had a white hare that I wanted to look at and…#

"Did you get in a wreck?" Danika asked frantically. Trish made a reflexive movement and Kira turned, 

"She didn't, did she-"

"Shhh!" Danika hissed, "Colby, where are you right now?"

#Um…can you come get me Danika?#

"Why? _Where_ do you want me to come pick you up, Colby?"

#Well, if you are near the stadium, it's only a couple of blocks away, on Via Sanchillo. #

"We're walking that way right now."

#I'm inside the building between Milano Jewelry and the red brick apartments. #

Danika looked up and stared in disbelief,

"_Are you in jail, Colby?_"

#Well…no not exactly. But they kind of think I stole that hare so they want to issue a search warrant. #

"What's going on?" Mariah whispered. She still hadn't left yet, a little intrigued with the conversation.

"Why is Colby-?" Mobekai stared, but Danika waved a hand furiously. She hated being talked to on the phone.

"We'll be there in a minute, Colby."

She hung up.

"Looks like we're heading to the Milan municipality police station. Colby's been taken in cause they think she stole a stupid rabbit."

"You can't just charge in and tell them to release her," Mariah frowned.

"We _could_ if we had _evidence_ to release her," Mobekai said slowly, with emphasis. He looked up at Trish, who actually forced a grin of excitement. 

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Emily walked out of _Joya Duermo_, a jewelry store and walked slowly down the street. She saw a small privately owned massage shop that looked quite inexpensive, yet nice enough that she didn't have to worry about the conditions of the shop.

A bell rang as she entered and a loud woman's voice called out,

"Just a minute, just a minute!"

Around the corner an older woman appeared. She was rather busty and as she moved, her thighs jiggled. Emily had to try hard not to stare at her weight. She had thick brown hair and a rough Greek accent. 

"Ahh…you American?" She grabbed a pen.

"Yes, I am. I'm a beyblader."

"What's your name, child?" The older woman stared at her curiously.

"Umm…I just want a massage."

"Yes! And a massage you will get!"

"My name is Emily."

"Oh…" She sounded disappointed.

"Oh! What's wrong?" Emily hoped she hadn't done anything awful.

"It is not really anything you should worry about."

"But I would like to know!"

"Okay, then, I will tell you while you get your massage. Come! Come with me this way!"

She handed Emily a towel and let her in the room,

"You will knock when you are ready?"

As Emily put the towel over her and called the woman in, she began to worry that it was this old lady that was to give her a massage.

The door opened, but a younger Italian girl also appeared. She did not seem to pay attention to the old lady because she might not have known English. Emily's shoulders sagged and relaxed at once.

The older woman pulled up a chair near the table to face Emily and she began to speak,

"My name is Dorothea. Ten years ago I was married to a rich man in America, but he was a selfish selfish man. Each time he earned money, he never show me. He go spend it on lottery and beer and other nasty stuff. I couldn't divorce him because I didn't have enough money. Slowly, he get not so rich and mortgage get high. We sold and moved into a one-story, one bedroom home. It was terrible. So I came up with idea: each time I got my money check, I stash away half and say 'Oh, look, here's the money for my money check!' He believe me of course cause he never home, and as I suspect, he took the money to buy a pointless pool table. Well, I finally stash up enough to support myself and I say I want a divorce. He more than happy to divorce and we go to court. But then I find out I pregnant. Yet I only had money to support one person. Well, my husband, see, he found out I'd been keeping money and he demand I pay him. But I don't have to pay him. So he lie to the court and say that _I_ was the one that spended all the money on the lottery, beer, and drugs. When the child was born, the court grant him custody of the child I had labored so long to bear. I had named her Hope. Hope Yenog. Because she had given me hope for a new life. With the child in his hands, I was forced to pay him child support. He never used it for Hope. I learn through my friend he spend it on more drugs and beer. I fear for the child and I fear for my own life; I gave so much money to him for Hope I had barely enough for myself each month. So, I did the only thing I could do."

Emily closed her eyes and suddenly felt bad for misjudging this kind older woman. 

"I kidnap my own child and bring her to my sister in Virginia. That a very long way from New York if you don't have car. She helped me get passport here and promise I see my child later. I've waited for ten years to see little Hope and no word came from Virginia. Then! Just a month ago, my little Hope called and spoke to me! She spoke to me," she began to cry, "I never see Hope speak, or walk. I don't know what she looks like. But she say she have red hair just like you. And she come to me this week. That is why I asked your name."

"I understand. I'm so sorry, but it must be wonderful to see her again!"

"Yes," lines appeared on the woman's face, "Yes. She might not remember me. She might not like it here. I am so worried she like my sister more than me. How I worry."

"My mother is in the U.S. too. I'm here with my team to win a cup." Emily suddenly felt homesick, "I haven't seen my mom for a while, but I write to her."

"You must miss her."

"Yes, but not as much as you must miss Hope. I hope you have a wonderful reunion."

The Italian masseuse lifted her hands and exited the room and Dorothea stood up and paused at the door,

"Thank you very much. I never forget you, Emily. I enjoys talking to you."

"Yes, I did too."

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Colby slouched on the hard wooden bench.

"We've just received permission to search your belongings," the policeman appeared, "I'll be back in just a minute. If we don't find anything, you will be allowed to leave."

Colby picked up her bag. She didn't want them searching through her belongings if she hand anything personal in her purse. Her hand moved past her wallet and her passport and stopped when she clutched her beyblade. She lifted the brown and white blade out of her bag and turned it over slowly. There was something different about the blade. It felt heavier, more…emotional.

There was a piece of white paper on her bit chip and she tried brushing it away, but it stayed. She leaned closer and saw that it wasn't a bit of white paper, but a white hare on top of her bit-chip. She didn't get it. Was the rabbit _inside_ her blade? Did she now have a bit-beast?

If that was the case, she really did indeed steal the rabbit.

__

I must not let them see this. She stuck the blade in her pocket as soon as the policemen walked out of the back room. She expected him to tell her what they were going to search and then take the bag back.

But he grabbed her and the bag,

"I'm afraid we were mistaken. A couple of teens just found the rabbit right off the street. It'd been hiding in a trash can. I'm so terribly sorry for all the confusion, Ms. Peterson."

"That's fine. I-" 

She stopped when she saw Danika, Kira, Trish, Mobekai and Mariah around the front door, holding a feisty little rabbit.

A guard took the rabbit into the back and Colby was handed her larger backpack.

As soon as they were outside, Mobekai grinned.

"You didn't just take a wild rabbit, did you?" Colby asked in amazement.

"Actually, we did better. We coaxed a guy to give us a rabbit from the pound for free. I imagine the rabbit will get better treatment in the hands of the state," Trish began to walk.

"I-umm..actually did take the rabbit."

Kira groaned,

"Oh, Colby, you didn't!  
Colby took out her blade,

"Guys, I think the rabbit is a bit-beast."

Mariah leaned forward,

"Oh, it's cute!"

"That's great, Colby! You can do so much better now."

"And he's very violent too. He's a Tramper," Colby grinned, very confident about herself.

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"Gosh, these halls are pretty spooky," Kenny fiddled with his hands nervously.

"Ooooooooh!" Tyson raised his hands, "Look out Kenny, I'm a -"

Kenny hit him,

"Stop it Tyson! I'm serious!"

Max was examining a broken chandelier up ahead, sticking out of the wall. As he ran his hand down one of the arms, it broke off suddenly. Max jumped and fiddled to catch it, before grabbing it between his wrists. He turned red with embarrassment

"If everyone can gather here!" The tour guide called.

Max hurried forward after stuffed it in one of the nearby knights.

"Ooof!"

He stopped and turned around, but there was no one behind him. He looked around curiously and heard a small groan. But as he peered forward, there wasn't a sign of anyone. A little anxious, he walked up behind Tyson.

The tour guide was saying,

"They managed to dig up the shield, but the sword was broken in the dig, so only half of it remains here. You can now take the time to tour the castle on your own. If you get lost, please follow the signs above . The castle closes at five this afternoon. Have a nice day!"

"This is so cool!" Tyson walked up to the same knight Max had been near earlier and lifted the arm,

"_Hello, how are you?"_ He did a fake voice.

Kai shook his head,

"You are such a child."

Tyson turned the knight's hand,

"_Mr. Kai, you're not being very nice."_

He let go of the knight and moved to a statue of what looked like a half-ogre, half elf holding swords up in the form of an X, his head bowed.

"Tyson."

"Yeah?"

…………………

"Yes?" Tyson repeated again ,turning around.

"Look." Max lifted a finger, staring at the knight he'd just held earlier. The hand was still sticking straight out in mid-air.

"Oh, do you guys still believe in that? It's just the oil-it's rusted." Ray moved forward to push the hand down, but before he could, the hand slowly moved downward. He stopped in disbelief.

"What--?" Even Kai turned.

"Hey, Mr. Dickinson! Mr. Dickinson!" Tyson yelled, "Ms. Llewellyn!"

The hand shot forward again suddenly, as well as the other hand and grabbed Ray around the neck.

"Aaaaaauuugghh!" Ray yelled, as he was lifted off the ground.

"Ray!" Kenny and Max jumped forward. The armored knight loosened its grasp on Ray enough for him to jump away quickly,

"It _can't_ be…"

"Don't let it get to you," Kai moved forward, "It's just something the castle people have cooked up to scare you. Let's go. If you ignore it, it will go away."

They turned their backs slowly and began to walk.

"CREAK!"

Max and Ray stopped curiously, while the others walked forward defiantly.

"CREAK!"

Max and Ray spun around,

"Oh, no!" Max' eyes widened with fear, "It's on the ground."

Tyson, Kenny and Kai spun around and the knight slowly began to lift each of his legs,

"CREAK! CREAK! CREAK! CREAK!"

"Gaaaahhhh! Someone…anyone…help!" Kenny yelled as they walked backward. The armored knight grew closer and reached a hand out to Kai,

"Iiiiiiii''''mmmmm nnnnnnooooottttt faaaaaakkkkkkeeeeee……"

"Aaaauugggghhhh!" Kai backed away slowly, his hands shaking.

"CREAK, CREAK!" The knight moved forward slowly and Tyson dropped to his knees,

"Please Mr. Knight….PLEASE don't hurt us. We'll do anything…Please!"

"CREIEAAAAKKKK!" The Knight tripped on a loose part of the carpet floor and fell face down on the floor.

"HahhhahahahhaHAAHAHAHHAA!" Someone started laughing hysterically, muffled by the dark helmet.

The knight sat up, crossed his legs as best he could and pulled his helmet off, shaking with mysterious laughter.

"Haha! I sure got you that time-oh man, you were all great! _'PLEASE don't hurt us, Mr. Knight! I'm coming after you!_' Hey, what's wrong with everyone?" She stopped laughing at the serious faces.

"_Hilary_?!!!?" Tyson asked in disbelief, "No, it _can't_ be!"

"Well, _thanks_ for the welcome!" 

"You're like an annoying little sister that won't ever go away!" Tyson pulled his hair in frustration, "You're supposed to be halfway across the world in Japan!"

"I _was_ in Japan! But it got so boring, so I earned enough money and now I'm going to travel with you in your tournament thingy. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Kenny grinned.

Tyson's face dropped and he glared at Kenny, before turning back to Hilary,

"You can't just come over here and travel with us! You don't have any right to be here-you're not blading!"

"She _did_ travel all this way and earn her own keep just to be with us," Ray shrugged, "We can't make her turn back now."

"Well, Kenny doesn't blade and he's traveling with you, isn't he?"

"Hes--hes--he's our technical engineer! He gets privileges."

"Well, shouldn't I get privileges?"

"For WHAT? For being an annoying tag a long?!"

"Oh, cool it Tyson. I'm not going to let you ruin this for me! I'm staying whether you want me to or not!"

"Did you call?" Mr. Dickinson appeared suddenly, "Oh, Hilary, it's so good to see you! Are you going to be staying, then?"

Tyson sweat dropped, anime style and sat on the ground,

"I give up."

"Oh, yea! And you're going to Austria tomorrow, aren't you all? I hear they have the best chocolate. And a really beautiful view-oh I can't wait to see the mountains."

"And after the tournament, I want to go learn how to waltz!" Kenny exclaimed.

"That sounds like fun-I'll go with you!" Hilary grinned. She and Kenny walked off ahead of the group.

"Hehehe-she does have spirit, doesn't she?" Mr. Dickinson winked, "Let's all go get packed. We should be eating dinner in Austria tonight if our flight leaves on time."

"We're taking a plane?" 

"Oh, yes! It'll be much faster that way!"

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Final Note: Thanks so much for waiting patiently for this chapter. I got it up a little late, but I nevertheless got it up for this week so I could keep my bargain of having two chapters up every week. You know the deal: Please read/review!


	15. Traveling Intrigues

Previously posted as text. Enjoy the new HTML format that I FINALLY got to post! J SQ

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

kaz: Yes, I'll just love having Hilary and Tyson together; you know what they say: opposites attract. I would have had her and Team Psychic in earlier, but B2002/Vforce only just started airing here. That's why everyone thinks Mariah/Emily are friends, because they probably do become good friends! Last I saw though, they downright hated each other-(; I'm so glad you thought that last chapter was kawaii! I really ran into a writers block there for a while, so I'm happy it turned out pretty good. The story can't be a good romantic story without a little sap, ya know? Sorry this note is kind of long, but I really liked your review! 

Galux Kitty: I don't think I would have minded if you'd stayed or went, but I'm really grateful that you'll keep reviewing until it's Ray/Mariah. And I'll give you a heads-up for when I start to do them seriously.J Have a great day! 

HikArI-T3nShi: I always liked the Japanese name Takao. It's cool to say aloud! Takao, Takao, Takao, Takao, Takao, Takao (Ray: Michelle?) Yeah? WHACK! (Ray: Shut up) 

Authors Note: OOPS! I'm so sorry for the delay-I've had so much stuff I've had to do this past week-I totally just built another page at xanga-the address is so I've been going there to chat with my friends. And homework's been a bugger as well. So now I finally have some free time.

ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! I put the Majestics in this one-(; Well, it's really just a short thing, but I'll include more of those. Yea! This chapter was so much fun to write! 

Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me. 

Mari (Mar-eye) sounds just like Mariah with the 'ah'. It's not pronounced Mary or Marie.

I forgot to tell you in the beginning that Mariah, Danika, and Kira are a half-year younger than everyone else-they're only fifteen still cause they have late birthdays. For clarification, the date on this story right now is October 21st. Don't ask me for the year please-I have no idea.(;

** represent italics for this chapter

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 15: Traveling Intrigues 

Kai continued to have the feeling he was missing something from his belongings and searched carefully among his room and his things before packing his stuff.

"Are you guys ready or not?" Hilary stuck her head in through the door, "I'm so sick of waiting!"

"Gee, would you knock or something?" Tyson asked annoyingly, "You already have your stuff packed! Of course you're waiting for us!"

"Anyone need any help?" She walked in.

"I do," Kai turned around, still looking about curiously, "Can you go through the room and see if there's not anything lying around?"

"Sure. Are you missing something?"

"I'm not sure," He said faintly.

Max gave him a weird look from across the bed, but finished stuffing his pack.

"Oh, by the way. I met someone an hour ago at the snack machine that said she knows you guys. I think her name was Daria? Delilah? Danielle? Oh, something like that-she has red hair," Hilary came out of the bathroom.

"Danika?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, that's her! Oh, isn't that the name of a yogurt brand too?"

"I didn't know they were in the same hotel as us," Kenny said.

"I wonder if they're on the same floor as us," said Ray.

"Oh, she's coming up soon. I told her where we were staying."

Tyson fell in despair,

"*_Hilary!* _You shouldn't give our room number out to just anyone."

"But I thought she was your friend?"

"She's *_competition*._ Yes, she is our friend, but she can come spy on us anytime she wants if she knows that kind of info."

"Whoops," she muttered quite naively and innocently, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize for anything. You just didn't know, that's all," Max sat down on the bed and picked Cheese up, "Right, I'm done."

"Same here," Ray zipped his duffel bag up and set it on the floor.

"I couldn't find anything Kai. Not even a hairpin," Hilary shrugged, turning away from the small walk-in closet.

"All right then. I guess I'm done as well."

"Wait! I have to put Dizzi's extra circuits away and then I'll be done!" Kenny rushed to his bags, eager to be done with the others.

"I only have one more thing I need to take care of," Tyson stood up and proudly introduced.

"What's that?" Hilary asked.

"Chocolate from the snack bar," Tyson held up a dollar, "Who's coming with me?"

Everyone fell down anime style as Tyson opened the door.

"Let's hurry and take a plane trip to Vienna where we can get very RICH dark chocolate," Max taunted.

"Nah, I need a snack for the plane there. I'll just get chips then," Tyson disappeared behind the door.

A loud "Oooof!" darkly issued from outside.

"I'm going to assume that was Tyson and someone else running into each other," Ray shook his head.

They ran outside and saw Tyson and Colby on the floor, rubbing their heads sorely.

"Hey, she was right! Gosh, a day and a half and we never manage to see each other-how does that work?" Danika grinned. She and the rest of the Wild Cheetahs were behind the two on the floor.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Hilary pushed through the door and came up between Kai and Max, "Wow. Who are you?"

Trish raised an eyebrow,

"How come *_we've*_ never met *_you*_ before? You didn't tell us she was traveling with you."

"Hilary's a.friend from school. She just arrived." Tyson stood up.

"These are the Wild Cheetahs," Kenny introduced, "Kira, Danika, Colby, and Trish. Their other team member Mobekai is somewhere else right now."

"He's meeting us at the airport with the White Tigers." Trish explained.

"Mobekai?" Hilary looked confused, "Who's that?"

"Why is he traveling with the White Tigers?" Tyson asked.

"You really haven't heard? Mobekai's been seeing Mariah for a couple of days."

It felt oddly strange for Ray to hear these words, even though he'd suspected it for some time now. It just didn't seem.right. He still didn't like Mobekai that much. How was it possible for Mariah to open up to him so quickly? She only met him a week ago. Was he really that in love with her?

"Well, it was really nice to meet you all," Hilary stuck her hand out, ever trying to be impressible. Trish looked at her weirdly, but Kira stepped forward and took her open hand,

"And back. It'll be nice to know you better in the future, Hilary."

Hilary decided she very much liked Kira and stepped back.

"It's a gathering!" Grandpa stuck his head out from the door across the way, "Hey, little dudes, Mr. D say's it's time to go!"

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"Mari, which one do you like better?"

Mariah really liked when he called her Mari. It sounded so sophisticated and it was much better than "cookie" or "muffin dearest". How she hated pet names.

He was holding up a box of chocolates and a box of red candy canes.

"Chocolate'll make my breath stink and I can share the candy canes with you," she finally decided, "Thank you so much. This is so sweet of you."

"I'm hungry and it would be rude of me to eat in front of you."

"How can you be raised like that?"

"Like what?"

"You treat me like I'm a princess. 'Ladies first, never cuss in front of a girl, never eat in front of a girl without buying her something'. Whoever taught you those principles must have been a good person."

"It's Tradition. I grew up in Bangladesh-in the older part of town. My grandfather lived in homemade huts, made his meals, hunted. It's sort of a third world economy amidst New World advances. But you're right-the people there have great morals. Is there something wrong with the way I treat you?"

"No, it just feels a little weird. I'm really independent and confident about myself and I'm not used to being pampered by someone else. You _can_ have your own life, Mobekai."

"This is my own life. I'm pretty determined Mari. If I wanted to stop all this, I would have. I wouldn't do it against my will."

She smiled in response.

He bought the candy canes and the soda he had wanted and headed with her to the bus stop. They had bought the treats for the plane. She noticed that he smelled really nice this evening, like honey dew or fresh grass and roses. He was holding her hand and began to do a cute little tapping motion against her palm. It was annoying after a while so she dropped his hand,

"Sorry," he apologized, "I got a little bored."

After a while, Mariah wondered aloud,

"How did you meet the rest of the Wild Cheetahs?"

"A guy named Tai-Ken approached me two years ago and wondered if I would join the team. I was hesitant at first, because I really didn't like his snide attitude, but my father had connections with him and persuaded me to join him. I've been training hard for a year straight."

"Do you think it's fair?"

"What?"

"Beyblading. The object is to knock your opponents blade out of the stadium, but it really depends a lot on the player and many times, players win just by sheer dumb luck."

"Are politics fair?" Mobekai laughed, "I'd say Beyblade is one of the most fair sports out there as far as I can see."

"That is, until you lose and then you start to hate it."

"Ah! But I haven't lost yet, you see."

"Yes, but you will. I used to have the same view until I lost in a big battle. Then I just had to find ways to improve my skills. You may have been blading before, but this is your first time in the championships and its suddenly no longer a game. Some people, like Kai, Michael, and my brother, see it more as a way of life. If they lose, it's the most tragic thing that can happen to them."

"That's sad. Trish is like that, but I know I won't become like that."

"Can I have that in writing?" Mariah laughed. 

"Haha," Mobekai sarcastically grinned, "Here's the bus, Mariah."

He put one foot on the bus floor and turned, waiting for Mariah to pass.

"Eeeehhh! Kevin!" Mariah stepped back in surprise

"Well, hello to you too, _Mariah_." Kevin jumped down from his temporary position on the top of the bus.

"Don't _do that!_ Gosh, you scared the crap out of me!" Mariah stepped onto the bus and Mobekai and Kevin followed.

"That's because you're letting your guard down," Kevin stared resentfully at her, "You're getting _soft."_

"Oh, shut-up!" She hissed, trying not to let his rude words get to her.

"Kevin. Come help Gary figure this defense strategy out." Lee got up from his seat. The tone is his voice was not only of suggestion, but the iciness was a hint of warning.

Mariah took a seat and Mobekai was about to, but Lee grabbed his arm,

"I need to talk to you for a minute back here."

"Oh, Lee! Don't bite his head off!" Mariah protested, a little worried that her brother wanted to talk to her boyfriend.

"It'll be a minute," Lee nodded and then joking, "I won't do any serious damage."

Mobekai looked a little doubtful. The White Tiger bus started moving again, and Lee pulled Mobekai into the back,

"I haven't done anything-" Mobekai protested suddenly.

Lee laughed,

"Forget it. I'm not here to reprimand you on how to treat my sister. I wanted to ask if you knew it was her birthday tomorrow. She'll be sixteen."

Mobekai stared in astonishment,

"It is?"

"Yeah. Seeing as you kind of have top priority in her life, it'd be a shame if she expected something and you showed up empty handed. Here," he handed him a necklace, "She'll like this."

"Actually-I have a gift for her already." Mobekai pushed it back into his hand, "I was saving it for a special occasion and I'm glad I did. You give that to her."

"Thanks," Lee put it away.

Mobekai thought Lee didn't seem so bad. He was a little threatening at times, but Lee was all right. At most, Mobekai respected him more,

"Thanks for telling me, Lee."

"I had to."

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"My feet hurt," Hilary complained loudly.

No one responded. They all ached just as badly.

"Guys?" Hilary asked.

"Hey, those bagels look good," Max eyed someone passing with food in tow.

Hilary rolled her eyes,

"I need to get a good girl friend."

"Like I said, you can always just turn around and go home."

"Oh, shove it, Tyson."

"There's only one plane trip tonight to Austria and the competition starts around ten in the morning, which can only mean one thing," Ray looked up, "We're flying with everyone else. Unless someone decides to take the train."

"Goodie," Tyson said sarcastically.

"Let's see: That way is to Terminal One, that way is to Terminal Five, so the one next to it must be Terminal Four. Then from there we turn left two more times before we reach our flight," Kenny lead the way through the airport, "Of course, on the way, we have to pass through the baggage claim and go through customs."

"When does our flight leave?" Max asked, as they got on the expressway.

"In an hour," Kenny replied.

"Oh, ho!" Tyson moaned, "We're going to miss it."

"Not if we hurry."

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"Don't you dare let this stuffy little nobody push you around Oliver! Get your act together!" Johnny yelled angrily.

The Majestics were in Scotland, on the high plains-Johnny's home turf. Not a person in the crowd was a fan for the opposing team of the Majestics, the Bold Boys.

"Be quiet Johnny! I'm taking my time." A wicked grin spread across Olivers face. The other opponent quivered with fear, unknowingly weakening his beyblade as well.

"Right, _now_ Unicolyon and I will finish you off! Get him Unicolyon!"

Unicolyon let out a magnificent scream of triumphant and stampeded mercilessly upon his opponents blade, which was immediately knocked out of the stadium. 

"Great!" Enrique grinned, "Another pathetic team is defeated."

"Yes," Robert looked around as the crowd cheered. Oliver jumped down from the stage and confidently took his place beside Enrique. 

"I can't wait till we reach the finals though," Robert gripped Griffolyon possessively, "Then we can test our true skills against the Bladebreakers."

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"Passports?" A petite woman asked.

"Yes, here's mine." Tyson pulled his out and looked around as the others did the same. Ray pulled his out of a side pocket and Max pulled his out of his jacket. Hilary pulled hers out of the back pocket in her skirt. Kenny's was tucked away in another satchel all together. Kai rummaged through his bag once and then he did it again.

"C'mon, Kai. We're waiting." Tyson encouraged impatiently.

"I-I can't find it," he looked through his bag for the third time and then looked up, "I think I found out what I was missing."

Tyson looked up at the attendant,

"Oh, c'mon, miss. We're beybladers. It's just one of us."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't let him in until he shows me ID. The rest of you may go," she stepped aside.

"No, thank you," Ray shook his head and turned to Kai, "We'll stay behind with you until you find it."

"You shouldn't. What if I don't find it?"

"Well, then, we'll have to catch a bus," Tyson scratched his head and shrugged, smiling.

"We can look everywhere now until we can find it. I know it wasn't at the hotel." Hilary began to open her own bag.

"How could you forget your passport?" Max asked himself as he set his luggage on the ground and began to open everything. He hadn't meant for anyone else to hear it.

But Kai had heard it and began to dig furiously through his on-trip baggage, feeling extremely stupid. This wasn't supposed to happen to him.

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"Majestics?" a 13-year old boy timidly asked the group hanging outside the stadium in Scotland.

"Your attitude is what's going to make you lose this time. I'm positive I'll win," Johnny declared.

"You always talk tough, Johnny, but I doubt you have any of the guts to back it up," Robert replied huffily, "Chess is a game noble of-"

"(cough) um, excuse me? Are you the Majestics?"

Enrique turned from his conversation with a green haired girl named Alexandra,

"Yes, we are. What can we do for you?"

"My name is Cale and I have it on good word that you are very good players."

"That's right," Oliver asked, "Do you want an autograph or something?"

"No, no, that's fine. I'm actually working for someone with--very high standing. He's willing to pay you a million each to throw the tournament finals."

"A million each?" Johnny looked over at Enrique, who shrugged, "Look, kid, that's a lot of money. Who're you working for?"

"He said you would ask that and if you did, he said to say it's extremely confidential."

"Mystery, huh? I like that," Robert looked carefully at the boy, "How do you know we'll reach the finals?"

"I've got it on good word that you're the favorite to have one of those spots-it's guaranteed."

"And we're supposed to lose on purpose?"

"That's right."

"What else?" Robert asked, eyes burrowed in thought.

"What do you mean?"

"We're already millionaires, kid. What good is that going to do for us?" Oliver leaned against the wall, "Is there anything else that might change our minds?"

"I--I really don't know if I have anything else to give."

"Well, then, neither do we," Johnny turned around and moved a piece on the chess board, "Check me, mate. I win."

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"Thank heavens we found you!"

Tyson looked up surprisingly. The Wild Cheetahs had gathered behind the curious looking group, searching a nearby spot in the Milan Airport. 

"Goodness! We were afraid you'd be gone by now!" Kira smiled in satisfaction.

"There's really nowhere we can go if Kai doesn't have his passport," Max shook his head as if their energy was in vain.

"No! No! You don't understand-we have it!" Danika grinned, pushing a paper into Kai's hand.

"You have-?" Kai asked suspiciously, looking at the paper and confirming that it was his passport. 

"I found it down the hall," Trish finally spoke for the first time.

"Yes-it was near your room. By the time we'd come back around, you'd already gone." Colby put in.

"Thank you," Kai told Trish.

"I really didn't do much-I just saw it."

"Still."

"Great," Tyson grabbed the passport out of Kai's hands and handed it to the recipient, pushing aside a woman, "_NOW_ can you let us through!?"

"Excuse me!" The woman cried indignantly.

"Max! Kenny!" A girl's voice suddenly spoke excitedly.

Max' face lit up, 

"Hey Emily! Gosh, I never thought we'd be seeing you guys this soon!"

Tyson turned around,

"Huh?"

Hilary looked just as confused,

"You know them?"

"Oh gosh," Tyson turned red, "So sorry about that, Dr. Judy."

The woman he'd so roughly pushed aside had been Max' mother, also the sponsor of the All-Stars. Unlike Mr. Dickinson, she was usually around her team 24/7.

She smiled,

"Oh, I really don't mind. Just watch where, and who, you're bumping into next time."

"Hehe.certainly!"

"Who is she?" Emily peered curiously over Max' shoulder at Hilary.

"My name is Hilary," Hilary smiled, "Are you the White Tigers?"

Michael looked insulted,

"As if. We're the All-Stars."

"Hilary, this is my mom," Max hugged Dr. Judy.

"Your mom is the captain of an opposing team?" She asked skeptically.

"It takes too long to explain," said Ray.

"Hilary's a school friend," Tyson explained to the team, "Been a long time since we've talked like this hasn't it?"

"And it's been a long time since I got in this line, kid," a man behind them had his hands held impatiently across his chest, "Now if you don't mind."

"Geez.we're going, we're going." Tyson held his hands up and handed the rest of the passports to the woman.

The Bladebreakers waited for the All-Stars and the Wild Cheetahs to pass through the customs barrier before proceeding to their gate.

"Good luck tomorrow," Ray commented, falling in step with Danika.

"Thanks! I'm pretty positive we'll win this one."

"Are you coming to our match tomorrow, Max?" Judy asked her son.

"Where else would I be? Yeah, I'll be there."

The White Tigers, along with Mobekai, were about to pass through the barrier when the entire group arrived.

"It's a brigade," Lee stopped short handing his ticket to the attendant and turned, "Will you look at that?"

"One big happy gathering!" Tyson clapped his hands together excitedly, "How about that?"

"I think your speech is going to disgust me, that's what," Michael frowned.

"You stand out like a sore thumb," Kevin commented.

"Thanks!" Dizzi piped from Kenny's laptop.

"He was referring to-"

"I was only joking, chief. Chill," she sighed.

"Excuse me," an attendant walked up to the rather large group, "There's been a change in your seating arrangements."

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"Great.just great," Tyson stuffed his head into the feathery airplane pillow, "Just great."

"Oh, will you stop saying that!? It's the stupid computers fault-I would much rather have sat near Kenny." Hilary crossed her arms.

"So you could talk about-what-*_data and analysis*'_?"

"At least I would have had an intelligible conversation with him! Instead of talking about *_Which pie do you like better*_?"

"Pie is good and it's a good subject. At least I understand it!" 

Hilary could tell that he wasn't just talking about the subject,

"You're always getting mad at me, Tyson. I wish you didn't have such a terrible attitude."

"Hmmph!" Tyson turned and stared out the window as more airplane workers loaded their luggage below.

After a few minutes of staring hard at the seat in front of her, Hilary spoke,

"I didn't mean that."

Tyson turned, a little surprised,

"You're apologizing?"

"I never said I was sorry. But I don't think you have a terrible attitude."

"Yeah, that'd be apologizing," Tyson rolled his eyes.

"Whatever."

"Well, thanks. Hey, we can talk about data and analysis if you want to. Just don't expect me to understand what I'm talking about."

"Really?"

"Uhh-yeah, I guess."

"Have you ever used a floppy disk?"

"Uhh." Tyson furrowed his eyes in thought, "What's that?"

Hilary sighed,

"What's your favorite pie flavor?"

"Chocolate mud!"

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The plane left about ten minutes later. Danika, Steve, and Mobekai were seated in the middle of the plane and behind them Max, Emily and Dr. Judy. And in front of them was Eddy, Trish and Kai. The two seat pairings on either side were, of course, Tyson and Hilary, Colby and Lee, Kevin and Michael, Kira and Kenny, Mr. Dickinson and Grandpa, and, rather coincidentally, Ray and Mariah. 

Ray and Mariah were sitting behind Colby and Lee, and next to Max, Emily and Dr. Judy's row. 

"Hi," Ray greeted her.

"Hi, how're you?" She smiled.

"Just fine. Have you had a good day?"

"It was nice."

He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he just watched Colby and Lee in front of them,

"I see you're not sick anymore. The rest must've helped."

"My bit-beast cured me actually."

"You have a bit-beast now?"

"Tramper-just wait. We'll beat you."

Lee laughed,

"You haven't seen Galeon."

"Oh? So now you want to have a conversation?"

"You wanted me to leave. I would have gladly stayed."

"You wouldn't have done--"

Ray tuned them out and closed his eyes to relax. Mariah had her back toward him, watching the sunset. She was afraid to say anything to him and felt extremely anxious to be away from him. Not because she hated him or wanted to be isolated from him. It was a nervous avoidance. Somehow, she still felt extremely hot and dizzy around Ray.

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Tyson turned away from the window. The same monotonous sight of orange clouds across a blood red sky as the sun set was boring. Hilary was attempting to sleep on the small pull-down desktop. He dug through his bag and got out a bag of chips, which crumbled under his fingers. Ever so slowly he opened the bag, but it still made a low crunching noise. A fistful of chips went into his mouth.

"CHOMP! CHOMP! SNAP! GULP!"

And then another fistful of chips went into his mouth. Hilary jerked forward a bit and his hand froze at his mouth, before,

"CHOMP! CHOMP! SNAP! GULP!"

CRINKLE, CRINKLE! CHOMP! SNAP! GULP! CRINKLE, CRINKLE-

Hilary's brow furrowed together angrily and though she hadn't yet opened her eyes, made it quite clear that she could hear him,

"Tyson, if you don't stop making so much noise, I'm going to dump all those chips out."

"Not if I eat them first," Tyson grinned and stuffed a whole mouthful of chips into his jaw.

Hilary's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Her eyes opened quite wide and then they narrowed angrily at him. It was a little freaky.

"Give me the bag, Tyson."

"But I just want."

"*_Now*._ I'll give it to you when we land."

Tyson grabbed a mouthful and then handed her the bag. She placed it in the side pocket, then closed her eyes to get some sleep.

Tyson stuffed the rest of the chips into his mouth one by one:

CHOMP! SNAP! GULP! CHOMP! SNAP! GULP!

"TYSON!" Hilary sat up angrily and got out of her seat,

"Go somewhere else!"

"Where?" He looked around.

"I don't know! The bathroom, the cockpit, another empty seat for all I care: just stop making noise!"

"Oh yes, your majesty!" He grumbled angrily, stomping past her.

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"This aircraft will be landing in ten minutes. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and all carry on luggage is locked safely above you. Thank you for flying and have a nice time in Vienna."

Emily woke up and found that she had fallen asleep on Max' shoulder. He was asleep as well, his head resting against her back. She blushed, but didn't want to move, or he'd fall, so she rested her head back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, and thought a little shamefully, *_He smells nice*._

The plane began it's descent rapidly, so she closed her eyes and pushed her jaw up and down furiously to keep her ears from popping. 

Max suddenly woke up with all the plane's jerking and sat straight in his seat, rubbing his head sorely, so she leaned her head back against the seat. 

"How long have I been like that?" he asked her.

"Not for long."

"You should've woke me up if it was uncomfortable."

"It wasn't," her cheeks tinted a light rose and turned her head so he wouldn't see.

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Final Note: Gosh, chocolate mud pie sounds so good right now. Hehe.funny chapter. Here are the seating arrangements for the plane if any of you get confused. There'll be a lot of times when they have plane situations. (What's a girl like me doing in a plane like this?) Fun to write, planes are.

W Tyson Hilary Eddy Trish Kai Kenny Kira W

W Kevin Michael Max Emily Dr. Judy Colby Lee W

W ------------ Danika Steve Mobekai Ray Mariah W

W -------------- ------------------- Mr. Dickinson Grandpa W


	16. Night Waltzing, Part 1

__

Mariah/Ray people will just absolutely love this chapter, believe me. They're so cute!

Gosh! 8 reviews! That's the most I've had for any chappie: thanks everyone!

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Neko-neko(): EEEH! I know, doesn't he look SO cute in season 2? I could just squeeze him! (Ray: ???) UHH…but I won't for his sake. EEEH! I'm on a sugar-high, can you tell?J 

Suzuran: Yes, sometimes Hilary's voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard (oooooh, that just makes me SO nervous!) but I relate to her a lot, cause I'm kind of a bookworm. She and Tyson have more of a love/hate relationship. Mobekai _is_ kewl! Really, you may think he's special, but not every guy you meet is a jerk. And if they are, they grow out of it.

kaz: Same here! (~cringes~) _Cookie, dottie dear, muffin, cream…_UUGH! I am NOT a food. You know how every time Hilary/Tyson fight they get real close to each other? This is me-I start bouncing up and down and yell at the T.V. "Kiss! Kiss!" Hehe…Suspense makes the world go around (*ladeda*) and it always makes the readers come back for more-the whole R/M thing takes a lot of trust in me-that was the only reason I started writing this story so please be assured they will get together. You're the only one that's said anything about sweet Lee! I like Lee a lot-I don't have a crush on him, but I think I can relate to him better than any of the other male characters. With the exception of Ray. J Again, long feedback cause I liked your review!

Galux Kitty: Really? It must just be coincidental, then, cause I update whenever I finish. The weekends just happen to be a really convenient time to finish. And a chat would be awesome! 

Cheril X: I like your name-that's awesome! And thanks so much for the review! I'm glad you liked that chapter!

Kawaii-Lovey: Yes! Yes, Ray and Mariah get back together or this wouldn't be an R/M-that's what I prefer as well! Mobekai just makes their relationship more interesting-thanks for reviewing! 

HikArI-T3nShi: Awww…sorry to say but Ray's jealousy gets even worse. Yep, yep…Poor Ray! (Ray: What about me?) Aww, get out of here and go eat some pie, ray kun! I do feel so terribly sorry for him. 

Curtis Zidane Ziraa: (laughs) Ha! (tries to wiggle eyebrows and fails miserably) Well,…anyway. Emily *luvs* Maxie-I think they were so cute, the plane idea just came to me out of nowhere and I still say "aww" every time I read it.

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Naïve Corner: Right, is Talas last name Balkov or Valkov? Because of Balkov abbey and everything. Really, I'll tell you later why this is so important.

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Authors Note: "my mini me"-haha, I just heard grandpa use that to describe Tyson. Mini me-HAHA! AWWW! Max and Emily=so cute! Wasn't my last chapter funny? I only just went back to read it and I'd never realized how funny it was. Course, I just had lots of chocolate, so that could be the culprit too. I pick up right where I left off so here you go!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ??? belong to me. 

I did some research on the waltz and ballroom dances, but some of it I didn't understand, so I revised some steps. I really don't think you'll care one way or the other, but I have to give due credit: I got the steps from www.dancetv.com 

*Michelle*: Right, we dragged you in here Hilary, so I guess you can stay.

*Hilary*: Oh goodie! No one should be allowed to rat on me though.

*Trish*: Fat Chance.

*Ray*: NO! NO! You're supposed to bring in another GUY! ANOTHER GUY! NOOOO! More girls, more girls! Ahhhhh!

*Trish*: Awww…Poor Ray is having a panic attack.

*Michelle*: Right, everyone "aww" at the same time. Ray needs our sympathies, both here, in spirit and in this story. Ready? 1-2-3-

*Trish, Hilary and Michelle*: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW-

*Ray*: AAAHHHH! SHUT-UP! SHUT-UP!

*Trish, Hilary, and Michelle*: DOES POOR RAY NEED SOME LOVING? YES HE DOES! AWWWWWWWW-

*Ray*: NO! NO! NO! 

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~9/11~

Remember those that risked their lives to save others ~ 

Our Heroes: Firefighters, Policemen, and Ordinary People like you and me. 

J The World Trade CentersJ 

A/N: Isn't this terribly sad? I just heard that they're now finding body parts up there that somehow landed on surrounding buildings ~ after two years. (Sigh) 'We just need more peace in this world!' Gosh, I sound like Sylphiel and Amelia off _Slayers_. *Hot* Xelloss/Zelgadis. ('nother sigh,'nother story). 

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 16: Night Waltzing, Part 1

"Chips?" Tyson demanded once they touched the ground.

"Here you go," Hilary handed it to him.

"Gosh, I'm starving…" Tyson dumped the whole thing in his mouth.

"Ewww! Tyson! You just had some fifteen minutes ago."

"Really? Gee, I only thought it was five. Time sure seems to fly, huh?"

Ray and Max were walking behind them and both laughed briefly at the dumb joke.

"They thought it was funny." Tyson grinned.

Hilary sighed and shook her head sadly.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Never mind."

"We're going to have dinner soon. I hope you're hungry enough for that." Kenny began to walk in step with them once they had reached the inside of the airport.

"I'm always hungry, chief. I just pace myself."

Hilary gave a derisive snort next to him.

"Even though some people may not think so," Tyson's eyes narrowed grumpily.

"Dude, this is my stop. I'll see you again in Hungary," Grandpa came up, smiling sadly.

"You're leaving already?" Tyson asked, a little disappointed.

"Can't stay here the whole time. I have lessons to attend."

"With who? I was your only student."

"There might be lessons!" Grandpa protested, "Anyway, you have fun! Know you will, actually. Bye little bro!"

"Bye Grandpa. I'll see you later." Tyson waved as Grandpa headed, stick in the air over his shoulder, to another gate.

"I'm afraid I must be going as well," Mr. Dickinson appeared above them, "The BBA is holding a meeting in Lithuania and then I really must head to Paris. I will see you at the start of the third round, however."

"All right then. Have fun!" Said Max.

"Where the heck is Lithu-whatever?" Tyson asked.

"It's a small independent country in the northwest that broke off from Russia," explained Kai.

"What the heck are they doing holding a meeting over there?" Max asked.

Mr. Dickinson smiled,

"It's the only neutral beyblading country."

"They don't beyblade up there?" Tyson asked incredulously, "That must suck."

"On the contrary, they think it's quite nice. Anyway, here's money for the rest of your journey. I'll trust Kai to keep it," he handed the money over to the leader and Tyson's dreamy look at hearing the word, "Here's money" suddenly fell quite drastically.

"Kai never wants to do anything. He's going to hand half that money back to you when we get there."

"Oh, shut up Tyson. At least I don't spend half of it on bags of chocolate."

Tyson opened his mouth, but no words could be expressed.

Mr. Dickinson laughed,

"Well, then, I'll see you boys later."

"And girl." Hilary demanded, a little insulted.

"And girl," Mr. Dickinson corrected, smiling.

He walked away in the opposite direction they had seen Grandpa walk.

"Well, at least it's not raining here." Michael looked out one of the airport windows to see a clear dark black night.

"All right, we're in the Hotel la Rancha," Emily announced to her team, looking at the reservation slips in Dr. Judy's hand.

"So are we," Lee looked around at Gary.

"Where are you guys?" Michael asked the Bladebreakers.

"We're at--" Tyson leaned forward to read the words, "Hotel Vigiga."

"Idiot. It's pronounced _Hotel Vigia."_ Kai shook his head in frustration.

"Oh, that's where we are as well…again. Too awesome." Danika grinned.

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"You got it all right?" Boris took the package from Ian.

"We almost had a run-in with Kai, but Trish took care of it," Tala explained.

"Good, I knew she'd be an asset over there, now, didn't I tell you so, Zen?"

He turned and the man standing behind him crossed his arms,

"You and I both know, Boris, that she is only doing this for you."

"I got your part of the bargain," Boris thrust the package into his arms, "Now it's your turn to do the same for me."

"You're not done with my part of the bargain," Tai-Ken frowned, disapprovingly.

"I'm not going to do all of it at once, am I? Not until I can be assured you'll do your part."

"I'll do my part, Boris. Surely you know by now that I'm a man of my word."

"I never trust a man with a purpose."

"I guess that doesn't leave a whole lot of people for you to trust."

"At least I know who I can trust…and I can keep a better eye on them that way."

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"BRAAAAAAWWWWPPPP!" Tyson burped loudly.

Hilary pulled a face and Max and Ray laughed.

"Gross Tyson…" Kenny shook his head.

"When will you ever grow up?" Kai asked behind them all.

"If growing up means being a bum like you, I think I like acting like a child very much," Tyson decided.

"I don't want to go back to the hotel," Max stretched his arms out. They had just eaten dinner and were wandering aimlessly along the bustling streets of Austria. 

"Yeah, I agree; let's go do something," Ray was watching some kids play a made-up game on the sidewalk.

"I know!" Hilary clapped her hands together excitedly, "Let's go get those waltzing lessons we wanted to do."

"Go dancing?" Max looked skeptical.

Kai shook his head emphatically, "If you do that, I'm going back to the hotel."

Tyson looked from Max to Hilary to Kai and then grinned,

"Right, dancing it is!"

He loved to annoy Kai.  
"Uh, how are we going to do that?" Ray suddenly asked.

"Simple-we find a dancing place and ask to learn how to waltz-" Hilary began to explain.

"I'm not talking about the procedure. In case you forgot, dancing involves a boy and a girl and there's five of us and one of you."

"I'm not taking turns," she stated immediately.

"We can get other team members to come," Max shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal."

"Or we could just forego it all together," Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding?" Kenny asked, "Austria's the best place to learn how to waltz. We shouldn't pass up the opportunity."

"Why can't we just do it tomorrow after the tournament?" Kai asked.

"Because we want to do it both days," said Max, "I'll call up Emily and we can see if some of the Wild Cheetahs want to come. We could be ready in an hour, honestly."

"Meanwhile," Hilary smiled, glad that everything was being pieced together, "I'll go look for a dancing institute-one that's open this late at night."

"I'll come with you," Kenny offered.

"Great!"

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"We need Mobekai back for now," Danika appeared around the White Tiger door, "And you can't refuse us, seeing as we walked from another hotel to get him."

Mobekai grinned and got up from the couch, where he was sitting next to Mariah. Kevin had been on the bed, throwing a ball up and down; Gary had been closing his eyes in the corner.

"Where's Lee?" Colby asked.

"Here."

She turned and saw that he was standing behind the group, holding two sodas,

"What's going on?"

"We're rescuing Mobekai." Kira laughed.

"Speaking of which…" Danika turned slowly, "MOBEKAI!"

"I'm coming already," Mobekai grabbed a pack and turned to kiss Mariah goodbye.

"Finally!" A loud voice echoed down the hallway.

The Wild Cheetah girls turned and saw Tyson leading the way down the hall, followed closely by Ray and Kai.

"Oh?" Danika asked, "What's wrong?"

"We've looked everywhere for you!"

"Where's the rest of your team?" Kevin asked.

"Max is paying Emily a visit; Kenny and Hilary are looking for a dance institute." Kai explained.

"A--what? Say that again? Did I really hear that right? From KAI?" Colby grinned, turning around.

Kai glared, but Ray smiled,

"Kenny and Hilary persuaded us to learn how to waltz. But we need partners and were wondering if you wanted to join in."

"Oh yes! That would be wonderful!" Kira's eyes lit, "I love dancing!"

"You guys should come too!" Danika turned, addressing the White Tigers.

"Uhh…I'm tired." Gary shook his head.

"I'd rather _cook_ than _dance,_" Kevin looked disgusted.

"I'll go!" Mariah got up, quite eager.

"Lee?" Mobekai asked.

"I really don't like dancing."

"Well, there's five girls and only four boys, then."

"Who said I was going?" Trish looked up from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Oh, c'mon, Trish! You'll like it," Kira persuaded.

"Besides, I've got the keys to the room and you won't get them unless you come…" Danika smirked wickedly.

"I hate you." 

"That'd be a yes!" Danika declared.

"How about you, Lee?" Colby asked, turning.

"Okay, then, just as long as it's one night."

"And tomorrow too," said Tyson, "Sorry, we wouldn't be doing it tonight then. Hilary's theory is the 'more we take it, the more we'll learn.' Whatever."

"Who the heck is Hilary?" Lee asked.

"A school friend-she's traveling with us for now."

"So, where are we going?" Mariah closed the door behind them.

"We really have no idea," Ray shrugged, "We're supposed to meet Hilary and Kenny in front of this hotel."

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Max knocked on the door and stepped back patiently.

__

Creak.

Emily opened the door and poked her face out,

"Hi Max. What are you doing over here?"

"Is everyone else asleep?"

"Yeah, or at least about," she came out and shut the door behind her. Her hair was down and her glasses were off.

"Hilary and Kenny persuaded us to learn how to waltz while we were here and I was wondering if you wanted to come join us."

"Oh…I don't know." She looked back nervously.

"They won't ever know you'd gone," he shrugged, "Besides, I know my mom won't care."

"All right, then…let me just go change for a minute."

"I'll wait here."

She came out a couple of minutes later, wearing a red cardigan, her glasses on and her hair pulled up in a ponytail.

"We're supposed to meet outside this hotel," Max said as they rounded a corner.

"That was nice of you to think of inviting me."

"It would have been rude if I hadn't."

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"We found it! When we told the woman there was going to be fourteen of us, she nearly peed her pants with excitement. I don't think she's had too many customers lately. Or this late at night either." Hilary explained to the group once they gathered outside, ready to go.

"And it's only a short way from here which means we won't have to waste money on the bus, but we won't scab our feet either," Kenny added, "The woman who owns the place calls herself Lady Lisel Dukakis; she specializes in waltzing and ball room dancing."

"She can only teach two of us at a time how to waltz, but she wants the rest of us to learn ballroom dancing under the direction of her daughter Autumn," said Hilary.

"That was never included in the event description," Lee frowned.

"Whatever. Let's just go get this over with, right?" Kai asked.

As they walked along the street, Mariah thought aloud,

"'I like the name Autumn."

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"Just where do you think you're going, Enrique?" Johnny asked, a little demanding.

"I'm going to see Alexandra." The Italian boy stopped at the door.

"Are you still with her? Gosh, I thought you'd have moved on by now," Robert crossed his arms over his chest.

"I like Alexandra. Until I find someone better, I'm staying with her," Enrique shrugged.

"Is that possible?" Oliver looked up as soon as Enrique had shut the door behind him, "For Enrique to stay with one girl for this long?"

"Must be if he's still seeing her." Johnny threw his beyblade up in the air and curled his fingers around it as soon as gravity pulled it down.

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They'd reached a dingy part of town. Trish thought for sure that it was just an easier way to get to this dance place, but was surprised when Hilary and Kenny stopped outside a building nearby. A sign in fancy red lettering above the doorway read, "_Lisel and Autumn Dukakis' Dancing Institute_."

"This is it?" She asked skeptically.

Kenny shrugged,

"It was the cheapest we could find. Remember, we have to pay for these lessons. Fourteen customers-there's no way she'll let us off for free."

Kira opened the door and instantly started coughing.

"It's really dark…" Tyson followed Hilary in, "So where's this woman you were talking about?"

"Well…er…"

The light suddenly flipped on and a woman with long dyed purple hair and green eyes appeared out of a side room,

"I really apologize for the first look of this--GOODNESS! There's quite a lot of you! Great!" She clapped her hands together, "My name is Lisel and well, like I was saying, we're rarely in here, so we don't feel the need to make it spotless and our funds are running short on our outside appearance. Come in! Come into this room; it's a much better environment…"

The room to the right was much lighter and clean. It had a large open ballroom appearance. There were red marble floors and simple, but beautifully designed chandeliers. 

A woman with black hair and green eyes stood quietly smiling in the center of the room.

"This isn't the only day you'll be doing this right?" She asked.

"No, we'll be back tomorrow, but we're leaving after that," said Danika.

"All right! First, let's break off into pairs so I can see where you're at," Lisel closed the door and turned around.

Mariah and Mobekai got together, of course, Hilary and Kenny, and Danika and Ray got together. Max asked Emily and Tyson asked Kira. Colby got together with Kai. Lee begrudgingly stood near Trish.

"Oh, good! Okay, now stand with your partner and face me!" Lisel smiled mischievously, "All right, you, what's your name?" She pulled Hilary forward, "You came in earlier."

"Hilary," Hilary stated.

"All right, Hilary, let's see, you go with him," she pushed her next to Tyson and stood back to look at them, "Yes, you two go well together.

"Wait a minute!" Hilary cried, "We already have partners!"

"No, not really. That was just for me to see where everyone was at. That's good, dear, c'mere." She grabbed Kira away from Tyson and placed her with Kenny.

"I really don't think Tyson and I should be together," Hilary protested, "We really _don't_ go well together."

"Nonsense! Of course you do! I _see_ it!"

"Then she's blind," Hilary whispered behind her back, crossing her arms.

Tyson only narrowed his eyes in disapproval at Hilary's comment.

She stepped back and looked each and every one of them in the eyes.

"No…" she muttered suddenly. Everyone tensed, wondering if she was really going to place everyone with the wrong people.

She grabbed Lee by the shoulders,

"Hey!" He protested angrily, shrugging her grip off.

"Not touchy feely," she made a mental note, "No, you look completely out of place next to her."

Trish didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

"And what's your name?" she asked.

"Lee."

She searched around the row and suddenly waved a hand at Mariah,

"I want you with her."

"That's my _sister_," Lee looked a little disgusted.

"Ahh! No wonder you looked like you belonged with her so much! All right, then you pair up with her," she placed him behind Colby and pulled Kai forward, "You also look out of place. Let's put you with her," she moved him next to Trish.

"I don't like this pairing," Trish objected.

"What's your name?" Lisel asked.

"Trish."

"Well, Trish, it's only for one night and I know what I'm doing."

Trish bit her lip angrily, but stayed silent out of respect.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I never got your names?" she asked Colby and Kai.

"Colby Peterson."

"Kai Hiwatari."

"Have you ever been to Hawaii?" she asked Kai, who looked slightly confused,

"No."

"Oh, just wondering-it sounds like a Hawaiian name."

Kai frowned,

"I'm Russian."

She ignored his comment and again walked slowly down the aisle before stopping in front of Mariah,

"All right, I want you to come here-what's your name?"

"Mariah."

"Yes, you are Lee's sister-I must remember that. Well, you come here."

"If you don't mind, I'd really like to stay in this pairing." She grabbed Mobekai's hand.

"Oh, are you together? That's sweet!"

They smiled and Lisel continued,

"But I do mind. And I really want you somewhere else. You just don't…look well."

"Why does dancing have anything to do with how we look?" Max suddenly asked.

"Dancing has everything to do with how you look. It's an elegant sport."

"Dancing is a sport?" Mobekai asked, never hearing that expression before, and slightly upset that this stranger had made such a forward comment about their coupling.

"Of course! What else would it be?"

Mobekai looked curiously at Max, who shrugged and turned to listen.

"Thank you…" Lisel told Mariah as she stepped forward. Lady Dukakis walked thoughtfully along the row. She stopped in front of Danika and Ray and then looked back at Mariah. Then she turned to look at Mobekai before looking Danika and Ray up and down,

"What are your names?" 

"Danika Wood."

"Ray Kon."

"Okay…" she trailed off, "I want Mariah and Ray together and Danika and the young man here together," she gestured at Mobekai.

"My name is Mobekai." He corrected, now quite indignant that she was putting Mariah with Ray, "Why can't we just keep the pairing we have?"

"Because I'm the teacher. Honestly, it's only one night."

Danika stood beside Mobekai, grinning at him. He didn't smile back though, because he was watching Ray and Mariah closely. Mariah had walked over to Ray, blushing furiously with her head bent awkwardly.

"Great! Now let me see if I can get the names right: we have Trish and Kai here, Colby and Lee, brother of Mariah, Mobekai and Danika, Ray and Mariah, Hilary and Tyson…and--I never got your names."

"My name is Max."

"Emily.

"Kenny."

"Kira Ocelet."

"Right! And we also have Kira with Kenny and Max with Emily."

"Why didn't you switch us?" Emily asked curiously.

"No need to! You look great together!"

Emily blushed and the woman pointed at Ray and Mariah,

"You two come with me for waltzing first. The rest of you stay with my daughter Autumn and learn ballroom dancing."

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"Waltzing, or Waltz, comes from the old German word walzen, which means to roll, turn, or to glide. The Waltz is a ballroom dance in ¾ time with strong accent on the first beat and a basic pattern of step-step-close. The Waltz was a dance born right here in the suburbs of Vienna and in the alpine region of Austria. As early as the seventeenth century, waltzes were played in the ballrooms of the Hapsburg court. Peasants in Austria and Bavaria danced the weller, or turning dance, even before that time. Many of the familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to simple peasant yodeling melodies. There are two forms of the waltz, the modern waltz and the Viennese Waltz, commonly know as the fast waltz. The Viennese was set to music by famous composers like Johann Strauss and Franz Lanner."

"Are we going to be doing a certain waltz or are we just learning the basic steps?" Mariah asked.

"Both! That's a very good question. First, you'll learn what leading and following means. Traditionally, the boy leads and the girl follows, but in today's society, the roles can be switch. We'll stick to the traditional roles, okay? Ray, I want you to cup your right hand against Mariah's shoulder blade. Make sure your arm and shoulder are held firm; don't let them go limp or you won't be able to lead properly."

Ray stepped up in front of Mariah and wrapped his right hand around her back. He pressed gently, but firmly against her shoulder blade. There was something a little teasing about the way he did it. She tried really hard not to blush and pretended she was listening instead to Lady Dukakis.

"Mariah, his upper arm and shoulder serve as the guiding force for all dance movement. And Ray can lead easily with the fingers and heel of his hand. Follow his lead and try to anticipate what he will do next. This will make it a lot easier to dance."

"Kay, daddy, I need a bedtime story," Mariah joked quietly, glad to let out some much needed breath.

Ray laughed and Lady Dukakis suddenly appeared at their side. They looked up in surprise,

"Mariah, now I want you to rest your left arm gently on Ray's upper arm with your thumb along the inside of his arm and your fingers draped over his shoulders."

Mariah did as she told her to and the only that kept going through her mind was how firm and smooth his skin was. _Oh gosh! Please stop! I love Mobekai… _

"Waltzes are danced in a closed position, but other positions are right and left parallel positions. You should be about 1/2 a body distance to your left with your right foot pointed in between your partners feet." 

Mariah and Ray stepped closer together and in order to avoid looking directly into his eyes, Mariah looked down to make sure her feet were positioned right. 

She was feeling extremely hot and dizzy. _I wish there was an air conditioner in here._

"I'm going to show you the closed position now. This is the same position you should be in every time you start a waltz. Ray, I want you to take Mariah's right hand in your left so that her hand is forming a 'Y' between your thumb and forefinger."

Ray's hands moved forward, gently slipping into Mariah's palms. His hands felt cool and finely chiseled against her nervous sweaty ones and a tingle ran up her spine. _They felt…perfect._

AHH! I hate you Ray! Why can't I get over you!? 

"Raise the hands to the eye level of Mariah, because she is the shorter partner. Do not do anything with these hands as they are not to be used to push and pull. That is done primarily with Ray's right hand on Mariah's back."

Mariah finally met Ray's eyes and he smiled kindly at her.

__

Mobekai…remember Mobekai! Beautiful, dazzling bright gold eyes…NO! That was Ray! Mobekai had blue eyes…sky blue eyes…

"Congratulations! This is the closed waltz position. The right and left parallel positions are exactly the same, except that Mariah's feet would be turned to the left or the right of Ray's and Ray's right hand would come down lower on Mariah's back. Now let's try the cuddle position!"

__

Mariah and me…cuddling? Ray thought. _She looks so delicate though; I really do just want to hold... No! Gee, why am I thinking this? She's with Mobekai, remember? And she's a really good friend-why would I want to ruin that kind of a relationship? _

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As Autumn started to play the soft classical music once more after fixing Kira and Kenny up, the only thing Mobekai could do was stare at the adjacent door to the right of the ballroom. Mariah and Ray had sure been in there for a long time.

"Mobekai?" A girl's voice suddenly asked.

He turned and saw Danika looking sadly up at him,

"Is there something wrong? You haven't spoken to me this entire time."

She looked a little disappointed and Mobekai suddenly felt terrible for ignoring her,

"I'm sorry, Danika. I'm just a little…preoccupied right now."

"Why should you worry about Mariah, Mobekai? We're just dancing."

__

Darn. I hate it when she can always tell what's wrong with me.

"I'm just a little concerned…Mariah told me she used to like Ray."

"Oh?" Danika asked, now a little surprised, "Ray never told me that."

"He doesn't know. I really want her to like _me_, Danika."

"Then you're asking for perfection. She's your girlfriend, Mobekai; she does like you. But don't try to suffocate her with overprotection. She's not right for you if her loyalty wavers often."

Mobekai smiled,

"Thanks, Danika. Sorry I pushed you into this-you didn't have to say anything."

"I don't care; I'm just giving some helpful advice."

"Well, if you ever need to talk to me about something, I'll always be willing to give you good advice as well."

"Thanks!" Danika smiled.

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"In the cuddle position, Mariah should stand directly to the right of Ray, facing the same direction, with Ray's right arm "cuddling" around her. Mariah, your right hand should come up and hold his at shoulder level."

Ray wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she reached up to again feel the warmth of his cool hands. The closeness of his body was making her extremely nervous. 

"Ray, your left hand will rest on Mariah's waist."

Ray rested his hand against the side of her waist and she turned her head to hide a deep blush. 

As she did so, her hair brushed his skin and a shiver ran up Ray's spine.

__

She's really close...and she smells nice too, Ray suddenly thought, before trying hard to shove it from his mind. 

"Good! Now, I'll show you progressive movement and you'll be ready to try it on your own! Work on it in the ballroom and then at the end, we'll all try it at the same time! You'll learn your steps separately. Let's do yours first, Mariah. You'll stand in closed position first and mimic Ray's movements. You'll bring your right foot backward, slide your left foot, and bring your right foot to close. Then you'll bring your left food backward, slide your right foot and bring your left foot to close. Do you understand?"

"This is…basic?" Mariah lost her somewhere after the first two words and was just moving her feet wherever she happened to go. 

"Well, then, here, I'll show you…"

__

Still, I guess I can think about how pretty she looks when she's trying to think hard like that: her nose is all scrunched up and her hair is sticking to her face and…there I go again. What's wrong with me? Ray thought.

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Final Note: I am SO pissed right now cause one of my friends dared to say that she thought all of the Beyblade characters were fat-she said Ray was the only thin one. At least they portray real life people, rather than the stick thin people you see on like Tokyo Babylon and Sailor Moon. No offense to these or anything cause I like Tokyo Babylon a lot~cute Subaru. But still. That was a major dis because she's only seen two or three episodes from the first season. In the second season they all look majorly thin. I went from one extreme to the other in my A/Ns huh? Happy/Sugar-High to Angry/Tired. Sorry, I just had to get that all out.

And I really apologize for the late update-I was nowhere near my house this past weekend.


	17. Night Waltzing, Part 2

Review Feedbacks can now be found at the bottom of each chapter, kay? Just so you know I haven't forgotten you. (;

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ??? belong to me. The song below is 'Then You Look At Me" by Celine Dion. _Via Que Lavasa_ is most closely translated as "The Road of Washing", or the "Road of Cleansing". Or so the Spanish translation goes, as Italian and Spanish are closely related.

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Authors Note: I kind of made over my beginning so it's easier to read on the eyes!

This is an excerpt from a new story I'm working on called 'Angels in China'-it's kind of the sequel to 'Watch This', …but not really:

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"It's me, Mariah," he said, though he knew she wouldn't hear him, "C'mon, you can figure this one out."

He traced her name once more and she watched curiously, stepping forward, before calling out again,

"Please show yourself! I know there's someone there!"

He knew he'd caught her attention, so now he traced his own name backward. She stopped mid-sentence and stared, almost directly into his eyes. He traced his name again.

She found her voice again after he traced her name and his own together,

"Please stop! This isn't a joke anymore!"

"C'mon, Mariah!" Ray pleaded to her desperately, "Please believe. It's me…"

So instead of tracing their names, he began to trace _White Tigers, Bladebreakers._

Again, she shook her head wildly,

"Lee! LEE! KEVIN!" she began to shout.

"NO MARIAH! NO! IT'S ME!" Ray shouted over her, "STOP!"

He traced _STOP_ quite firmly and then when she had stopped shouting, he wrote,

__

It's Me

Ray

She reached forward into the waterfall as if trying to grab someone. She looked close to tears. He reached out painfully and took her hand though he knew she couldn't feel it.

"Ray?" She asked quietly, sounding pained.

"Yes, it's me."

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A/N: Sound good? Tell me what you think! (;

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

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WATCH THIS!

Chapter 17: Night Waltzing, Part 2

"Are you ready? For this dance, I want you to do the first basic ballroom dance: the girl puts her arms around the boys neck and the boy puts his arms around the girl's waist."

Trish turned around to face him and stepped forward. Kai wanted to step back because she had moved so close, but then he realized that she was supposed to come forward. He had to admit she was a pretty fast learner. 

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

Her touch made his skin tingle and his stomach twisted anxiously. He sucked it up and tried to ignore the feeling he'd had. It was the same feeling he'd received when they were doing the waltz positions.

He wrapped his hands around her waist and encouraged her to come forward more by pushing against her sides. 

Trish was feeling slightly dizzy, but she was sure it was because she was tired. In any case, she enjoyed letting Kai lead her around with his muscular hands…_He is pretty muscular, isn't he? _She blushed and thanked heaven it was a little darker in the room. _Kai was extremely handsome._

She closed her eyes,

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Man, if Boris or Tala knew I was thinking about Kai this way, I would never be welcome back at the abbey. I've got to keep my focus. I can't become emotionally involved with my task.

But, yes, Kai was handsome. It ended there. She'd heard awful stuff about his personality and past. And she'd seen firsthand how rude he could be. _But…_she wondered briefly, _could he be kind too? _

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Laugh and cry, 

live and die, 

life is a dream we are dreaming

Day by day, I find my way

Look for the psalm and the meaning

"Excusing your hostile attitude toward everything else, you certainly know how to find your way when dancing," said Colby lightly, glad that he wasn't stumbling over her feet.

"I don't have a hostile attitude toward everything," Lee protested, pulling back. He slid his hands off her waist, took her hands in his own and snapped his wrists up. She twirled for the music count and came back gracefully.

"Show off," he smirked.

"Thank you for the compliment, but that's really how I do it," said Colby.

"Oh, no! Not you, I was talking about Mobekai and Danika. He just dipped her."

"I don't see how that's showing off; we can easily do that."

"Are you sure?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, let's try it!"

At the next 3/4 beat, Lee wrapped his arms completely and securely around her back and her left leg came up so that most of her upper body fell onto his arms. She gripped his neck tightly as he lowered her down. His face loomed above hers, screwed up in concentration as he supported her. She was sure, in turn, her own face was red from the blood flow. As soon as the next beat hit, he pulled her back up,

She smiled, a little flustered, 

"That was fun."

Lee could see that her body language was telling otherwise. She was shaking under his hands and her palms were feeling sweaty against his neck, so he just smiled and pretended he thought so too.

****

Then you look at me

And I always see

What I have been searching for

I'm lost as can be

Then you look at me

And I am not lost anymore

Emily was feeling tired. She tried extremely hard to keep her head up, but she felt like she would collapse if Max had not been supporting her. 

She sighed and looked away from his face, watching the other teams. Kai was staring into Trish's face; not lovingly, _heavens no, _Emily thought, but with mild interest and boredom. Her eyes were closed half the time like she seemed to be concentrating. Hilary and Tyson were talking in low tones with each other, their faces gravely close. Ray was trying to keep comfortable in his position with Mariah, but she was trying to keep as much distance from him for obvious reasons. She looked back at Max, who was watching her closely. She smiled to get a reaction from him, but he only continued to watch her. He turned away jerkily after a few moments and stared past her shoulder.

Emily sighed and gave up the struggle to keep her neck supporting her head. She laid her head against Max's chest lightly and continued to move her feet with the music. 

Max stiffened slightly as she did so.

"Is this all right?" She asked hesitantly, her voice muffled by his shirt, "I'm just really tired."

"Yeah, you're fine."

She could hear his voice resonating through his body and smiled slightly. She could also feel his heart beating. She relaxed her position and settled in more heavily against his chest.

She could feel him slowly relax and after a few seconds, he also leaned his own head against hers, unconsciously guiding her freely throughout the dance floor.

****

People run…sun to sun 

caught in their lives everflowing

Once we're gone, 

life goes till it's gone

We have to go where it's going

Danika not only had her hands wrapped around Mobekai's neck, but she was resting her chin on his shoulder, so it looked more like they were hug dancing. She closed her eyes tiredly. She could feel Mobekai stiffen every couple of seconds and she had no doubt it was because he could see Ray and Mariah together. _Honestly._

But still; she herself felt a little betrayed. She didn't know Mariah and Ray used to be close companions or that Mariah had/still had a crush on Ray. Truth be told, she was really jealous. 

She and Ray were good friends because she could talk to him easily. Heck, she could talk to _anyone_ easily, but she really liked hanging around Ray. 

Ray would never see her as more than a good friend though. It was at these times that she envied Mariah, not only because she liked Ray and actually had his attention, but because she was in a relationship with a wonderful person and Danika hoped that one day she could have that.

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Then you look at me

And I always see

What I have been searching for

I'm lost as can be

Then you look at me

And I am not lost anymore

Ray was extremely uncomfortable in his position with Mariah. She had her arms around his neck very lightly and he had his hands on her hips, but she had pulled out considerably far so both looked like they were reaching over to each other. He wanted to say something, but he didn't. He moved forward, hoping she would just let it be. Instead, she moved back as well. He groaned, not realizing he'd done it aloud.

"What's wrong?" She asked, trying hard to beat around the bucket. 

"Umm…I'm a little uncomfortable in this position. If you'd rather, we could just do the second basic ballroom dance. Or sit this out till the end."

"No, that's okay. Here." She moved closer and his arms finally bent, the muscles slowly contracting.

"Thanks," he graciously replied.

"I totally understand. It's…just that I was worried about Mobekai--and you know."

"Why is Mobekai so worried? It's like you can't even talk with another guy."

She looked away and thought a little shamefully, _Actually, it's really just when I talk with you, Ray. He's worried I'll still like you more._

"Yeah…" said Mariah.

"You know, I never really figured out how you got with him. When did you become friends with him?"

"Well, we kind of became friends after he realized I just wasn't going to get with him like that," she blushed.

"I see," Ray nodded and dropped the subject quickly. "Sorry," he added.

"You shouldn't apologize," she looked up and saw Mobekai closing his eyes in relaxation, "He's really very kind if you can get him to open up to you. And he's only protective because he's afraid of losing me."

Ray could see her loving and sympathetic piercing gold eyes furrow in guilt. A pain stabbed him as she spoke, angry and confused that she had such a fantastic connection to him. 

****

And you say you see

When you look at me

The reason you love life so

Oh, lost I have been

I find love again and 

Life just keeps on running

And life just keeps on running

You look at me and life comes from you…

"I have to admit, this was actually a pretty good idea," Tyson told Hilary.

"Well, I told you so," she smirked.

"Don't rub it in," he glared light-heartedly, "Why did you come out?"

"I'm still every part of this team. Besides, aren't you glad I'm not screaming at you like I used to?"

"Yes, I'm ecstatic."

"I'm not joking, Tyson. Seriously."

"I am being serious. But I still get a little frustrated when you say "Bleyblade". What kind of name is that?"

"It's very hard to say Beyblade. I'd like to see you say it over and over again."

"Beyblade, beyblade, beyblade, beyblade…"

"All right, Tyson. I get the message. At least, I also know and understand what a bit-beast is."

"Look, Hilary, you don't have to prove yourself to me. I don't care whether you understand or not."

****

From you.

The music slowed to a stop and Autumn turned it off. Lady Dukakis, followed by Kira and Kenny, the last couple to learn how to waltz, entered from the side room,

"I guess that's all for today. You can come back tomorrow; we'll put the waltz to music." She clapped her hands excitedly, "Gosh, I haven't had this many customers in so long. I swear I won't forget any of you."

"It was really a pleasure," Autumn smiled at her mother and then back at them. 

Kenny and Hilary were going to split the finances, but the Mariah, Lee and the Wild Cheetahs offered to pay their own. Emily had also wanted to pay her own keep, but Max would not let her hand over the money.

The late night air was cool and the back streets of Austria had settled down. 

"Have a good night!" Autumn and Lisel waved enthusiastically.

"See ya! Bye!" They waved back, heading down the streets. At the road, _Via que Lavasa_, they split ways, not as friends this time, but as enemies, ready to fight for the next day.

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"Haven't we done everything there is to do when it comes to waltzing? What the heck are we going to be doing tomorrow?" Tyson asked, yawning.

Hilary shrugged and opened her own hotel room across the way,

"I'll worry about it in the morning."

Max opened the Bladebreakers door and jumped back half a mile in surprise.

"Oh, it's you!" Tyson sighed in relief.

Cheese ran out of the room and scampered gleefully all over Max.

Ms. Rochelle Llewellyn got up from the bed she'd been sitting on,

"Mr. Dickinson wanted me to check on you. I'd arrived at eight and have been here since. You're lucky. Any minute later and I was ready to call the police."

"So I guess you're coming over tomorrow?" Kai asked begrudgingly.

"That's right, and I'll be at the match as well. I won't travel with you because I'm not allowed to side with one team or the other, but I will see you along the way. Have a nice night boys."

She walked past them and Tyson folded his arms angrily,

"Man, I can't believe we still have to have a baby-sitter."

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*flashback*

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Ray giggled in his arms. The man, who called himself Tai-Ken, looked down with a smile, which quickly turned to an annoyed scowl. He rubbed something on his skin and then put the same stuff on Ray's head before smearing. It felt sticky.

"Show your mark stranger!" another man commanded as they approached a very elegant looking house. It looked strangely familiar in his mind.

"I am a White Tiger, can't you tell?"

"That's impossible-the only White Tigers left reside in this village. The rest have been destroyed."

"I hid, to save this child. His name is Raymond Kon_. See? He wears the symbol."_

He pointed at something on Ray's forehead. Ray giggled and reached up. He smeared the sticky liquid across his face more.

"Amazing," the guard leaned forward curiously, "We were told all the members of that family had perished.

"The Heavy Boars have cut part of my arm and my nephew is injured. Can't you spare us some sympathy?"

"The Kon child is your nephew?"

"Yes. My brother's name was Chai Kon."

"You may enter then…and I will introduce you to the court."

"Thank you."

They walked along a vast hall. Ray could only see dark and the bobbing chin of this "Tai-Ken."

"Elders?" Ray squirmed and saw a group of men sitting in a circle, talking quietly with a young warrior on the ground.

The men looked up,

"Tsuki? Is this important?"

"This man claims to be the uncle of this boy."

"Oh? Isn't that something the family magistrates deal with?"

"The boys name is Ray Kon, sir, son of deceased White Tiger Supreme Elder Chai Kon."

Silence filled the rest of the room.

*End Flashback*

Ray lifted his knees and leaned against the headboard. It was well into Saturday morning and he was not sleeping, even though he was really tired. He kept trying to sleep, but he could never get comfortable.

He heard it then. At first he thought it was maybe the floor or one of the headboards creaking as the rest of the Bladebreakers tossed in their sleep. But it sounded out again, this time it was a little louder. It was a knock at the door. _Who would be up at this time?_ He got up quickly and opened the door. He was a little shocked to see Hilary standing there, tears flowing freely down her face. She had some bags in her hand and the door behind her was open. He could see a half-filled suitcase on the floor.

"Oh, good! You're awake," she croaked out and suddenly pulled him into a hug, "Bye Ray!"

"_Hilary…_" He pulled back and gaped at her, "What's wrong? What in the world are you doing?"

She choked and covered her face with her hands,

"You guys don't want me here so I'm leaving. I really want to stay though. And I don't want to go back because my parents will be working all summer and I don't want to be alone. But I'm alone here as well…" she sobbed.

"I--Hilary, do you need help?"

"Oh yes! Can you come help me pack some clothes and-?"

"No, Hilary. It's late. You need to go get some rest. You're anxious, you're not yourself right now. I meant, do you need help sorting--things out?"

"_I'm not delusional, Ray!"_ she snapped.

"I didn't say that; I just said…"

"Will you help me pack, or are you just also going to let me do it on my own? Have even less to do with me?"

"I'm going to go wake the rest, Hilary. Can you just stay here for a minute?"

"No, I don't have time," she turned around and shut the door angrily on her room. She shut it so hard, though, that it popped open again and Ray could hear her furiously opening drawers before it became silent. Then she started crying some more. _Waltzing was a good idea, but I think, especially before battling early in the morning, we shouldn't have gone at night._

He closed the door to their room slowly. He could hear her cry harder and he assumed she thought he didn't care. He felt bad and was about to turn back to try and talk to her again himself, but then he remembered trying to talk to her for a few minutes. Max rarely talked to Hilary. Kai was definitely not the person to wake up for her and Ray was extremely sure Kenny would get downright scared. Tyson wasn't the most pleasant person to try and wake and he and Hilary didn't exactly see eye to eye, but he seemed to understand her the most.

Ray tried shaking Tyson, but that didn't face him. He grabbed his pillow and started whacking Tyson in the face. Tyson began to moan but made no other move.

"Arrrghhh---" Ray went into the kitchen and filled a hotel glass with ice and water. He walked back in and dumped it directly across Tyson's face.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Tyson sat up, yelling angrily. He looked around at the rest of his sleeping teammates and then up at Ray. His eyes were barely open and he looked extremely mad,

"What's the big idea, Ray?"

"I think Hilary's lost it. I can't talk to her. And I'm afraid to get anyone else up."

"And you really think _I _want to deal with it…NOW, of all friekin' times of the day?" Tyson laid back down and turned around, with his back to Ray,

"I can't believe you woke me up this early for that."

"C'mon, Tyson. She's packed all her stuff already and I'm afraid she's going to lose all the moisture in her body if she keeps crying. I don't know what to do-you can't just let me handle it on my own."

Tyson's eyes narrowed. He groaned very loudly and pulled the covers off violently,

"WHY can't you people just go to SLEEP, like every other NORMAL person in this country-these countries?" he corrected himself. 

He stopped only a quarter of an inch from the door when he could hear the sobs and whimpers.

"Told you," Ray put his hands on his hips.

"Gosh; I'll be back." He walked across the hallway and even though the door was open, he knocked very loudly on the door.

Ray leaned against their door frame, watching anxiously.

"So NOW you're going to help me pack, Ray?" She replied furiously.

Tyson pushed her door open and walked in, shutting it all the way behind him as he entered. Ray closed the door to the Bladebreakers room, but left it unlocked so Tyson could reenter.

Tyson walked up to where Hilary was leaning against her bed and stood there until she finally decided to stop and look up,

"I'm not Ray and I'm not going to help you pack. I'm going to help you _un-pack_ in the morning, however."

"Go away, Tyson. Go get that sleep you probably want so badly?"

"Well, by the looks of it, you need it more than I do, so I'm not leaving till you do."

"I want to pack, Tyson and--" she tried to reach forward for some shirts, but he grabbed her hand,

"You need to get your mind off this, Hilary. You're _obsessing!"_

"You can't tell me what to do, Tyson! I never want to talk or see or speak to you again, okay? I want to go home and be alone, because at least when I'm alone there, I'm at home. And it was my choice to come here in the first place!"

"Yes, and it was also you're choice to stay here after we told you you would get bored! And now see what happened?"

"I'm not bored; I'm just tired, no not tired, just--just--UGH! I'm upset and angry and--"

"Why do you gripe so much? Why must you make such a big fuss-?"

"GET OUT OF HERE TYSON!" Hilary screamed shrilly, "You're always so negative about everything; you're never nice to me!"

"LOOK, I CAN YELL MUCH LOUDER AND MUCH MORE ANGRIER THAN YOU IF I WANTED TO, …but I won't as long as you _listen to me!_ You're not alone. You came here to be with us, not to mope and wine at-" he swung around and looked at the clock, "Three in the morning. If you get some sleep and still decide you want to leave than you can. If you're going to say something worth my while then I'll stay but if you're going to complain all night, I really would like to get some sleep. We're not mad at you. We don't want you to leave. We never did."

"Yes, _you_ do. You want me to go home. You even said it yourself. _I could always just go back home._ And you also said you don't care about me, so I figured, I wasn't wanted here."

She pulled her knees up and rested her chin in her arms.

Tyson frowned and sat down next to her,

"Is this about the Bladebreakers not liking you or about _me_ not liking you?"

"Both."

"I never said I didn't care about you," he defended.

"Yes you did-you said '_Look, Hilary, you don't have to prove yourself to me. I don't care whether you understand or not'_."

"You misinterpreted me then. I meant that you don't have to know everything there is to know about beyblading to prove yourself as our friend. It was supposed to be a compliment."

"Ha!" Hilary laughed, "_Our_ friend; I don't think _we've_ ever had a conversation where we don't argue."

"Hilary, why is this so important to you? Why _now_?"

"I don't have to tell you at all."

"No, you're right; you don't. But that's not going to help you."

"I don't want your help."

"Yes, well you need it. Look, you really need to get some rest. If you can, you'll probably make more sense of yourself. If you do something rash now, you might regret it later."

"I don't know."

"You don't know what? If you can get some rest? Hilary, I can't read your mind. You've got to be more specific."

"No, I don't know why it's so important to me. I can't sleep, Tyson…I can't get comfortable. I can't relax."

"Well, for starters, stop packing the crap out of this room. And just lay on your bed until you start to sleep. If you calm down, you'll maybe start to feel tired.

She got up and sat down on the edge of the bed. Tyson crossed his arms and continued to stare at her.

"Aren't you going to go?" She asked.

"I risk the chance of being woken up again. I'll wait till you're asleep before I leave, like I said."

"Thank you," she said quietly, "I'm sorry; I guess I'm just feeling really nervous."

"Yeah, I can tell." 

She lay back on the bed and turned onto her stomach, holding her pillow against her head.

She let out a couple of deep gasps and sighed, before turning on her side and tucking her feet in. Tyson closed his eyes against the wall and lost track of time. He jerked awake an hour later and looked up. No sound came from Hilary. He got up and walked over and saw that she was asleep.

"_Finally…"_ He whispered.

Something she'd said kept going through his mind,

__

"Is this about the Bladebreakers not liking you or about me not liking you?"

"Both."

"Sorry, Hilary," he apologized sadly. 

He rubbed her back for a few minutes before walking quietly to the door. He turned the lights off and closed the door behind him.

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Final Note: AWWW…I know Hilary's attitude may have seemed like an extreme OOC, but that's what I'm usually like late at night on little sleep, so it's pretty darn close to the real thing actually. 

And if I get 100 reviews for this chapter, I'll post the next two chapters at the same time this Saturday as well. Deal? I think that sounds fair enough. And I've already got 91, so it should be easy for y'all. 

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Ice Archer Girl: Yeah, I've never heard Ivanov before either-that doesn't sound right. Well, someone did actually tell me that it was Valkov, but because of the Abbey and everything I wasn't sure. I really think it's Valkov then-Tala Valkov. It looks nice, sounds nice, so it's good enough for me. And, hehehe, you know who I'd be waltzing with if I could…(*wicked grin* RAY-KUN!) (*Ray*: Ray is not here at the moment, but he can take a message--) SQUEEZE! (*Ray*: Eggchh! Breath-I need--air--) I get so jealous of Mariah sometimes. BTW, I'll go back and change how Oliver is spelled~I'm glad I put that excerpt in before I really messed it up later. And thanks for correcting me!

kaz: Oh, thank you! Yeah, I think they look just fine too, but apparently my friend begs to differ-she insulted them further today by saying not only were they fat, but even chubby. She said Mariah-"that pink haired chick" looked fat as well! Hmmph! But when I told them they were thin in the second season, we joked about how Tyson, Kai, Max and Kenny had started a veggie diet for Weight Watchers. Hehehe…So I guess she didn't make me that mad. I had a really hard time writing that chapter, so I'm glad it turned out all right with the descriptions and the thoughts~(; Thanks very much!

Galux Kitty: You learned how to waltz at your school? That's awesome! I wish our school did fun stuff like that, but we're so pathetically cheap that we hold assemblies in the cafeteria. You're near the last day of your school? Gee, I just started! What's up with that? It must be the season change.

Cheril X: Hahaha! (wow…that laugh is a little scary looking; I should try something else

next time.) ANY-way! Thanks for the funny commentary! And now onto the fic! (Everyone except Kai: WHAT FIC?!!!) (*~sigh~*) They really are pointlessly stupid, eh, Kai? (Kai: -----Whatever.) THAT'S the Kai I love so much! (;

Cheril X: Don't you feel special? You get TWO of these. I thought my top feedback looked too silly and light-hearted to put this in. But since you reviewed twice, it's kind of a given that you get two feedbacks. Chapter 11 was totally new, not re-written or re-named. I always write the chapter and then post it. Were you confused because I added the title of the next chapter (which I had had enough time to pre-write)? Or did it just look different to you than what you remembered?

Kai-Hanmyo: YEA! (Squeezes Ray) She likes my story! She likes my story! And she was kind enough to stop and review 'wittle' me. Thanks!


	18. Black Driger

WOW! Thanks so much everyone for all the reviews~I got more than 100 and like I promised, I posted two chapters. I split reviews for each chapter depending on when they were posted and again, they can be found at the bottom of each chapter. (;

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A/N (Author's Note): Galux Kitty was right-I just got the DVD episode of "My Enemy, My Friend," and Ray does say that he won't let his feelings get in the way of the game. But he also shakily says, "What's wrong with me?" at the beginning, so I still believe I'm right in thinking Ray does have some feelings for Mariah, but he just doesn't know it himself yet. You know what I mean? He's feeling something, but he doesn't know what it is or how to react. 

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings or mixed up references are purely accidental. (I'm not exactly new anymore so I had to makeover my disclaimer.) The author has not seen Beyblade 2002 (VForce) or G Rev, because they only just started airing, so coincidental or incorrect information about characters can be attributed to that. Also, character last names might be spelled incorrectly or Japanese/English last names might be mixed by fault. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ??? belong to me. 

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Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

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WATCH THIS!

Chapter 18: Black Driger

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"Are they in this tournament?"

"Of course they are," he snapped again, "Why do you want to know all this?"

"Oh…I'm a…fan," she blushed slightly.

He raised an eyebrow,

"And competition at the same time? I pity your team."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" She asked angrily.

"Nothing at all," he lied, ripping his blade against the wall again.

"Well, I'm getting quite cold, so if you don't mind, I'm going to leave."

She stuck her hands in her jacket and exited briskly, but before she reached the roof stairs, she turned around once more,

"Could you…tell me, does Ray…does he have his bit-beast Driger still?"

"Yes, he does," Lee's anger was kindled once again.

"Happy birthday, Mariah," Lee sat next to her at the windowsill and placed a necklace in her palms.

It was early in the morning and the White Tigers were lounging around their hotel room, up before everyone else as usual. The sky was mostly purple and dark blue, with silvery pink lacing the horizon. Only a few lights were on in the room, but it was just enough to see till the sunrise provided rays. 

"Oh, Lee! Thanks so much! It's very beautiful…" The chain was gold and an emerald silver flower was attached at the bottom.

She clasped it around her neck. Lee took the towelette off the bed drawer and wiped his face off. 

__

"She doesn't have any authorization to receive those!" Lee jumped forward. He could bet every one of them had nasty details about Ray and Driger.

"Actually, I do." She held up a pink slip of paper, "Trish got them from an exclusive friend of ours."

"Exclusive?" Lee asked, "That's crap! You can't just walk in and receive information like that."

"It's none of your business what I can and can't do," she brushed past him.

"It darn well is. Ray's my friend, even if we don't exactly see eye to eye. I will tell him what you just did."

She stopped and turned around slowly,

__

"I'll tell Mariah you were out today if you tell."

"I'm so scared," Lee snapped sarcastically, "Tell Kevin and Gary while you're at it."

"AND…!" She raised her voice, "I can guarantee you Driger if you don't tell."

"Oh, so now you're going to resort to stealing? Even that's a little beneath you, don't you-"

"I won't have to steal anything. I have an exact replica of Driger. It'll be yours, bit-beast and everything. Of course, I could always get you the real thing. It is what you've always wanted, isn't it Lee?

He stared, 

"How did you know that?"

"Ray isn't the only person we keep tabs on, you know. Even if you do tell, we know stuff you'll only dream about."

"An imitation isn't the real deal, and you know it," Lee said quietly as he shut the hotel door behind him.

"What? Did you say something?" Kevin asked.

"Nah. Let's go get some breakfast." 

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Are you going to try something today, Colby? Lee thought curiously, trying to figure out what the Wild Cheetahs might be planning, _And will it involve my own team?_

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"Tyson? Tyson?!" Kenny sighed, "Boy, why do I even bother?"

"Tyson!!!" Max shouted directly into his ear. Still no movement.

"Get up, Ray." Kai pulled the pillow out from underneath the raven-haired boy's head, "We've let you sleep long enough."

Ray's head hit the ground hard. His hands flew up immediately and his eyes screwed together in pain. He moaned and curled up in a ball angrily,

"Asimplegetupraywouldhavedonenicely. Wha'imeis't?"

"_What_?" Max asked curiously, "What'd you say?"

Ray rolled over and opened his eyes dimly,

"I said, "A simple "Get up, Ray" would have done nicely. What time is it?"

"Nine. Gosh, you're usually the first one up. Did you not get enough sleep?"

"No, strangely. And I wasn't the only one. Hilary went into this strange mania thing last night. I had to wake Tyson up for it, so he might be extra grumpy this morning."

"Her screams could have--ahhh," Dizzi yawned very loudly from Kenny's laptop, "…wakened the dead."

"How did you wake up Tyson?" Kenny asked.

"I dumped ice on his face," Ray sat up and stretched, "Why?"

Kenny raced into the kitchen. They could hear the clatter of Tupperware and the cracking of ice hitting the countertop.

"Get ready for the yelling," Max chuckled as Kenny came out, holding a glass full of water and ice.

He walked over to Tyson, who was sprawled on top of his covers, his mouth hanging open. His nose flinched and he sucked up a lot of air and coughed. It was then that Kenny dumped the ice water onto his face.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Tyson yelled, sitting up wide-eyed "What the--"

"Good morning sunshine!" Dizzi called merrily.

"That's the second time!" Tyson muttered something else and then, "Why can't you guys just dump me in a pool?"

"You don't have time for that. We need to be at the match in an hour," Kai shook his head.

"Match?" Tyson leaned back on his elbow, "_Match_! Who're we playing against? Why wasn't I told earlier? Why do we have to cut these things _so darn close?_"

"Stupid! He's talking about the Wild Cheetah match against the Bladehunters," Hilary announced matter-of-factly, dropping her bag next to the lamp and closing the hotel door behind her.

"Well, hello to you too," Tyson's eyes narrowed as he sat up again. 

"Is that what you packed last night?" Ray asked curiously, referring to her day bag.

Hilary's face looked dangerously close to cracking with anger,

"No."

Ray stepped back innocently.

"Ha! As if! I think she packed her toilet as well!" Tyson guffawed shortly.

Hilary started moving forward angrily, her arm held back in a tight fist. Tyson grabbed Dizzi desperately out of Kenny's hands (Kenny: Hey!) and held it up in front of him cowardly,

"Please don't hurt me!"

"Oh, sure, use the small laptop. We can always fix it, they say. No harm there," Dizzi complained under her breath. 

Hilary crossed her arms and leaned against the wall separating the main/bedroom with the kitchen,

"Hmmph!"

Tyson slowly lowered Dizzi before handing her back to Kenny,

"Please ask next time, Tyson. I think you scared Dizzi."

"Sorry, Dizzi. It was just a nervous reaction."

"Apology accepted," she chirped.

"Well, are you guys done getting ready so we can go?"

Tyson got out of bed and closed the bathroom door in response. Hilary seemed to have been expecting this and looked at her watch,

"All right then. I'll wait down in the lobby for you, but if you're not down in a half hour, I'll find you at the stadium."

"Sounds good," Max flipped the lights on in the kitchen and rummaged through the cereals.

"Hmmmm….some extra gigabites do sound good right about now," Dizzi said tauntingly.

Cheese had been sniffing around curiously on Max' bed and leaped forward at the sound of food.

"Eeeep!" Hilary jumped back as Cheese scurried across her shoes, "Why couldn't you have found a dog, Max?"

"They're so predictable," he grinned, poking his head through the window.

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"Boy, are the others going to be in over their heads today," Colby rubbed her hands together.

"You're to tell them as little as possible," Danika warned.

"Even less than that," Mobekai shook his head at her. Kira nodded in agreement, even though anxiety was overwhelming all her logical senses.

But Mobekai always had the final say. 

Trish walked slowly, confidently, behind them. 

"Aren't you nervous, Trish?" Colby asked, pivoting on her feet. Kira stopped and turned around to watch the captain as well. Trish, however, closed her eyes and continued to walk past them.

"It'll be quite an argument," Mobekai said quietly, watching her back, "Just you wait: she and Kai will go at it soon. And they're not the only ones either."

He looked over at Danika, who looked away shamefully,

"I've nothing to hide from Ray. He deserves to know."

"He'll know, all right," Mobekai began to walk forward, sticking his hands in his pockets, "The shock will be nasty enough, but if he tries to pry information out of you Danika, you're not to tell him anything."

"I understand completely."

"Good."

"Don't use your fullest potential either," said Mobekai.

"Why not?" asked Danika.

"Everyone, especially the All-Stars, will be trying to analyze our data. We never registered a file, remember? If you can keep it low key and win, don't hesitate. We don't want anyone else knowing what we can and can't do."

"Mobekai! Over here!" Mariah waved from a street corner. Lee, Gary, and Kevin stood expectantly behind her.

"Nothing more, understand?" Mobekai finished.

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"I want you to store away everything you see in this battle, Emily. We can use the data to come up with a strategy to defeat the Wild Cheetahs. They are our new focus at the moment," Dr. Judy Tate put some papers in her hand bag and sat on the edge of Eddy's bed.

"I especially want to cream Mobekai," Micheal threw a ball up and caught it angrily with his mitt, "I want to humiliate him like he did to me."

"I'm glad you have found positive ways to channel your fury, Michael, but I must remind you that we still have no information yet on the Wild Cheetahs and it is impertinent that we know what they can do," Judy explained. 

"We can't fight blindly and expect to win," Emily placed her hands on her hips impatiently.

"That's right. I'm not necessarily sure whether they're also going to use their fullest potential. I still find it impossible to believe Mobekai beat Micheal, but Mariah managed to beat him."

"We need to just get more power then," Eddy shrugged.

"Right! I'm working on it right now-a device I'm assuming will work excellent with your blades and increase your power over the White Tigers and possibly, the Wild Cheetahs." 

"What about the Bladebreakers?" Emily asked.

"I haven't yet decided what their weakness is, but with good time," Judy smiled.

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Mobekai wrapped his arms around Mariah and leaned down to kiss her softly and passionately. 

Kevin pulled a face disgustingly and Lee's brow twitched anxiously. After about two minutes in which neither had come up for air, he jerked forward to grab Mariah away, but Colby grabbed his arm and frowned warningly. Lee folded his arms crossly and watched Mobekai with current dislike. Fortunately for Lee, they broke apart a couple of seconds later.

"AWWWWWwwwwwww…" Danika grinned, whistling. 

They walked across the street and down the alley that would lead them directly to the front of the Austrian Beyblade Stadium.

"Happy Birthday," Mobekai whispered in Mariah's ear.

"That was a great gift," she licked her lips.

He laughed,

"I _do_ have something else for you."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Later."

"You weren't thinking that a minute ago, were you?"

"It's a surprise, Mariah! It's not something I can describe anyway."

"Like a kiss?"

"No, but you'll get some of that too."

"I see," Mariah pretended to be interested in the alley surroundings, but Mobekai knew she had something at the tip of her tongue and was just biding her time. Mobekai smiled and shook his head.

"Just one teensy weensy little hint?" She spun around suddenly, her face lit up.

He laughed,

"I knew you wouldn't have played that to the end."

"Oh, c'mon, Mobekai!"

"Nope."

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"Good, she's gone!" Tyson peered carefully around the lobby, "I knew she wouldn't want to wait here for so long."

"Uh…Tyson?" Dizzi asked.

"She might have some seats saved too," Max added hopefully.

"Oh, this is the perfect chance to go spend some of that money I have on Beyblade improvements. I think there's a shop right outside the stadium."

"Even some new blades," Kenny thought curiously, "Hey, Tyson, would you mind-?"

"Tyson!" Dizzi called again.

"What?" he spun around.

"Behind you."

Tyson spun around curiously.

Hilary was standing outside the continental breakfast door, with her hands on her hips.

"Oh. Hehehe…Hey Hilary!" He waved merrily.

"Did you really think I wasn't going to keep my word?" She asked silkily.

"Well, I know _I_ wouldn't have waited!" He argued.

"And what's this about money? Where did you get money from? Is it a lot or just pocket money?" She walked up curiously.

"It's nothing, really."

"Are you kidding?" Kenny stared incredulously, "Do you know what ten thousand francs can get you?"

Hilary's jaw dropped and she jumped forward,

"_Ten thousand_! 10,000 francs is definitely not _nothing_, Tyson!"

They opened the hotel door and began walking through the morning mist. The streets were mildly crowded. Most of the public was already at work, so the rush of traffic wasn't bad either.

"How'd you get it?" She asked pryingly.

"I won a contest in Aix-en-Provence."

"Ha! What kind of contest did you happen to win at by chance?"

He glared,

"It was a hot-dog eating contest."

"Seems kind of trivial. Who'd give 10,000 francs to someone for eating hot dogs?"

"Oh, you're just jealous," Tyson grinned.

"Am not!"

"You are too! I can see it! You'd give anything to win 10,000 francs for a spelling bee or something like that!"

"First of all, a spelling bee is quite the opposite of eating hot dogs-"

"Is not."

"Whatever. And second of all, I wouldn't be receiving francs and it wouldn't be a spelling bee."

"What, then? A geography bee? You'll win that for sure," he teased.

"_No!_ I'm talking about an actual contest like a game show or something, something that actually requires _a brain_."

Everyone laughed except Tyson and Kai.

"I like my brain to be fresh when I use it," Tyson excused himself.

"Actually, I think it's past the expiration date," Kai spoke up, "You should think about getting another one."

Everyone laughed again, but Tyson just gaped at him,

"Wow! You cracked a joke, Kai. Good for you! Good Kaiy waiy!" He patted Kai genially on the arm.

"Don't touch me," Kai frowned dangerously.

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Mobekai opened his BBA bag and pulled Ray's Driger out slowly. 

__

I wonder if I should use it.

"Mobekai!" He spun around quickly and hid the blade behind his back.

Danika had poked her head around his dressing room door,

"Trish has decided she wants to put Kira against Chucky. She doesn't want you battling today."

"_What_?" He asked incredulously, "Why not?"

"She thinks Kira's Sea Dragon will destroy Chucky's dive attack in no time. Besides, you can't battle all the time."

"Well, I know that, but you battle quite frequently too."

"That's because my blade is much more powerful than yours."

"It's not. Yours is a fake."

"Oh, stop being a baby and come on," she grabbed his arm, "We need to be outside with the others now."

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"Welcome back to the European World Tournament! We're in Austria at the moment and the first round has started with the beginners facing the losers of the Advanced Round! I'm A.J. Topper and this is my partner, Brad Best. Hi Brad!"

"Hello to you too, A.J! Have you noticed that we've been to five cities in five days?"

"Uhhh…no Brad I hadn't. We do seem to be jumping all over the place, huh?"

"Not like jumping beans of course though!"

"No Brad. This competition definitely isn't Jack and the Beanstalk. Our competitors today are the Bladehunters vs. the newbie Wild Cheetahs. But word is, the Wild Cheetahs are darn good."

"The Bladehunters were defeated in the Advanced Round, but some recent improvements to their blades might keep them in the game."

"That's right! And their competition? Well, nothing is known about the Wild Cheetahs, but we're hoping they'll surprise us somehow," A.J announced.

"I've changed my mind," Trish stated once they'd sat down outside, "Bring your bit-beasts out and fool around with the Bladehunters. We'll win for sure. But let's show these dirks what we can do."

"You mean I have an excuse to show off?" Danika asked excitedly.

"Yeah, whatever you want to call it."

"This is just getting better by the second," she grinned, "All right Kira, you're up. Be aggressive. We're counting on you."

"Got it," she clutched her green and purple blade and walked confidently up to the stadium.

"And it looks like Kira Ocelet has been chosen to compete against Chucky of the Bladehunters. Chucky is famous for his Big Kahuna Dive Attack, but it looks like Kira has a sea beast of her own. The selected dish for this match is just the standard bowl. Not easy to run anywhere though," A.J announced.

"In positions!" Jazzmen raised his hands wide, "Blades ready?"

Kira lifted her green and purple blade up. She focused her mind on her motivation and tightened her face determinedly.

"3…2…1…Let it RIP!"

Kira sliced her blade back furiously and narrowed her fists, grinning excitedly,

"Now show me what you can do!"

"She means business," Max said from the sidelines, "Gosh, I don't think I've ever seen this side of Kira."

"No ones a perfect angel," Tyson watched her closely, "But sweet and gentle Kira suddenly doesn't look so kind in the stadium."

"I've already started a file on the Wild Cheetahs. Are you getting this Dizzy?" Kenny held his laptop up, following her blade.

"Yep! It's all coming down."

Chucky grinned as if she would be no big deal at all,

"Big Kahuna Dive Attack!"

A tidal wave of water suddenly filled the entire dish.

"Can you stay afloat?" He taunted.

"Ha! You won't even phase me!" Another wave launched furiously again and Kira cried,

"Fangtail! Hurricane Spike!"

"What?!" Chucky stepped back surprisingly.

"Sorry, kid, but your dinky little wave pales in comparison to my ocean bite."

A magnificent scaly aqua and turqouise dragon, with trident like horns appeared out of Kira's blade and roared angrily. Visible sound waves came out of it's mouth, which blasted Chucky's Kahuna tidal wave away. The water hit the nearest audience seats and they shielded themselves when the impact hit. 

"That wasn't even the full spike!" Kira boasted, "That was just a sound effect for your pleasure."

"Wow…there's no way!" Max' eyes went wide as he clutched the railing. Kenny typed furiously next to him.

"He's just as big as Dragoon!" Tyson commentated shockingly.

"Did you see the size of that sea dragon?" Steve stood up in his seat.

Chucky's blade waded around a couple of more times, but the dissipating waterline soon brought the weak blade to a stop.

"That's a shame. Fangtail had really wanted to use his spike too," her blade was still spinning strongly against water in the dish. 

"And the winner is most decidedly Kira! Who can stand up to _that_?" Jazzy announced.

Kai's fist clenched tightly,

__

If that was the power of just Kira, he wondered briefly what kind of power Trish had.

"Guess we better improve the stats of the Wild Cheetahs, huh, A.J?"

"That's for sure. That sea dragon looked anything but tame."

"Maybe Danika has just as good of a bit-beast; we'll certainly find out in the next battle; she and Lippy are going head on for another round."

"How are their blades so powerful?" Kevin asked curiously from the sidelines.

"Age," Lee replied shortly, not at all shocked. He'd been expecting something like that. The Wild Cheetahs didn't boast for nothing.

"I see. That sea dragon's got to be pretty ancient, huh?" Mariah asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it evolved about the same time Spencer's Whale did."

Kira walked back and Colby jumped forward and hugged her tightly, grinning wide,

"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Our first win!"

"Good job, Kira," Mobekai smiled.

"Thanks! Oh, that was easy. I want to go do it some more."

"Nope. It's my turn now," Danika clutched her brown, white, and black blade to her stomach and was about to step up.

"Danika."

She turned around and noticed that their team sponsor was standing behind Trish.

"Yes?" Danika asked.

"Don't hold back."

"Yes, sir."

"They'll get all our data though…" Trish protested.

"Yes, that's what I want them to do," he crossed his arms and smirked. Trish still didn't understand.

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"The 2nd battle in the first round is about to begin. Let's hope the Bladehunters have a backup strategy," Brad commentated.

When the bowl came up, several peaks appeared.

"The bowl setting this time is the Alps. Good luck there, I tell you."

"Bladers, prepare yourselves!" Jazzy yelled.

Danika held her blade to her eyes level and resolutely looked into Lippy's eyes,

"Whenever you're ready?"

He lifted his blade up and grinned,

"Ladies first."

Danika looked up at Ray, who was leaning curiously against the railing with the rest of the Bladebreakers,

"Sorry, Ray. This is for me only."

He looked into her eyes. She blinked twice and turned away. She could feel the fire burning in her throat. And her blade shook in her hands. He was eager to be let out.

"Ready?" The countdown lights began to blink off, "3..2..1..LET IT RIP!" Jazzy pointed at the stadium.

Lippy and Danika both let theirs rip and Lippy's blade fell hard on top of Danika's, trying to cut into her's quickly. He obviously wasn't going to waste any time. 

"I have to admit they're getting better," Kenny shrugged, pulling his glasses off and again letting Dizzi record Danika's movements. 

"Not for long…look!" Ray pointed.

Danika was laughing quietly and suddenly began to run around the mountain paths. Rocks crumpled under her course. Lippy followed extremely close, trying to run her blade off the mountain, but every time he did so, she would side step him and he risked losing control of his own bit.

"Bladers have to be very careful with this terrain. One wrong move and they'll be soaring to the bottom. And the higher up they go, the harder it will be to control their blade power," A.J. explained quietly, trying not to take away from the atmosphere of the battle.

"This is pathetic. Is that all you have?" Danika asked calmly.

"I'm beating you!" Lippy yelled frustratedly, "So shut up!"

"Tsk, tsk," Danika shook her head, "Beyblading is half-psychology, don't you know? Would you like to see my bit-beast?"

"Stop talking and start blading!" She grinned. He was definitely pissed at her.

"I am. I just wanted to have some fun for a while. Here, I'll give you a treat before I make you lose…BLACK DRIGER! Dark Claw Attack!"

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Final Note: I seriously typed this one and chapter 19 in only one day-today. That's how busy I was this week, honestly. I'll have to admit it's a little better than I imagined, but I think I could've done a whole lot better.

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Kai-Hanmyo: Yea! You were the last one to review the last chappie (the first time you reviewed me too) and you were the first to review me this time. Heck, you reviewed within twelve hours. Bravo! Oh yeah…(*wicked grin* ~little slobber here and there~) Hilary and Tyson definitely get together in this fic.

Cheril X: Well, I thought your commentary was funny at first and then I got a little lost…But Ray understood it, didn't you, Ray? (*Ray*: ^nods and shakes head furiously^ Poor Kai always gets the butt end of our jokes. And Tyson's SO in denial.) Denial of what? (*Ray*: ^sweat drops anime style^ Why do I even bother?) Hey! This is my fic~ you can't make fun of me! (*Ray*: Just watch me.)

Ice Archer Girl: hehe… "throw away his last name"~sounds like you're going to put it out with the daily trash. Torture him, Carly! If you go back two chapters and scroll up to where you see the Majestics, you'll notice Oliver is only spelled with one "l". I like it better that way too. Thanks for reviewing!

Starwave: Hello! Sorry, I just felt like saying that. Anyway thanks a bunch and enjoy reading the two chapters that I posted together! (;

HikArI-T3nShi: Poke! Neko-neko() wanted to tell you thanx for telling her I updated. (shudders) Gosh, I hate pop quizzes. I've had tons of homework lately too…so much I almost ran the risk of losing computer privileges for a month if I hadn't started working on that instead of getting on the computer first. Computeritis, that's what I call it. Everyone's taller than Kenny: he's funny just by himself. Funny Kenny! 

Neko-neko(): You and Hikari-T3nshi go to the same school? That's really interesting~my best friend also has an account here, but she writes a lot of crossovers for Slayers, Cowboy Bebop, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc. The waltz is a satanic dance, didn't cha know? J/K, I've never actually even tried it, but I'd rather stay a virgin waltzer all the same. And tuxedos are a great idea, but I'm not actually going to show them at the waltz place again, just infer it indirectly. If you don't understand that idea now, you will later.


	19. Black Dranzer

WOW! Thanks so much everyone for all the reviews~I got more than 100 and like I promised, I posted two chapters. I split reviews for each chapter depending on when they were posted and again, they can be found at the bottom of each chapter. (;

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Cool Quote: 

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the ending, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing; the shadow, even darkness must pass and a new day will come. And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer! Those are the stories that stay with you, that meant something, even if you were too small or too young to understand why; But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn't; they kept going because they were holding onto something."

"What are we holding onto Sam?"

"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."

-Samwise Gamgee to Frodo Baggins in _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers._

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A/N: Great quote. LofR is so awesome. Anyway, in this chapter they seem a bit OOC, b/c of high emotions and stuff, but it's good anyway, so enjoy!

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Disclaimer: Any misspellings or mixed up references are purely accidental. (I'm not exactly new anymore so I had to makeover my disclaimer.) The author has not seen Beyblade 2002 (VForce) or G Rev, because they only just started airing, so coincidental or incorrect information about characters can be attributed to that. Also, character last names might be spelled incorrectly or Japanese/English last names might be mixed by fault. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ??? belong to me.

__

Italics are thoughts.

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Bold Letters are songs.

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WATCH THIS!

Chapter 19: Black Dranzer

"WHAT?!" Ray nearly fell off the railing. Max and Tyson grabbed him. Tyson's eyes narrowed,

"That's so low! She can't do that!"

"That's _your_ bit-beast, Ray!"

"No, it isn't. It's a replica, look!" Ray stepped back shakingly.

"Like Black Dranzer?" Tyson stared in amazement.

"Don't say that," Kai snapped angrily, fists still clenched.

__

No! Lee thought angrily, _So that's why Colby wanted to know that information on Driger! That's not a replica of Driger-it's a Driger all on it's own!_

"It _can't_ be…" Mariah whispered in amazement next to him, "I thought Ray was the only original owner of the White Tiger. How does she have one?"

"The question we need to ask is not how, but where and from whom?" Lee's brow furrowed, deep in thought about everything that he'd learned so far.

Lippy stepped back in amazement and then looked up at Jazzman,

"She can't copy another bit-beast! That's illegal!"

"Dark claw!" Danika repeated angrily, shaking from head to toe.

Black Driger, a Black Tiger with brilliant white, red, and orange streaks, roared and pounced claws out on Lippy's blade.

"I'm going down there. I'm going to confront her…I can't believe she didn't tell me sooner," Ray turned to leave, but Kai grabbed his ponytail and stopped him,

"Don't. You're in no mood to talk reasonably to Danika."

"I'm the only one that should have the White Tiger!" he protested.

"And you do. She owns the Black Tiger."

"It's still a pretty odd sight," Max bit his lip curiously, "You can't help but feel sorry for the Bladehunters. They're just a sideshow in all this so the Wild Cheetahs can boast their skills."

"Yes, but while they do that, they also grow weaker with the amount of information they're expelling about their team," Kenny explained, searching his computer for possible ways that Black Driger could have been formed.

Lippy's blade teetered a bit and Lippy jerked forward desperately,

"That's a replica of Ray's bit-beast! She can't do that!"

"Black Driger is _not_ a replica!" Danika shouted in defense. The entire crowd was in an uproar over her bit-beast.

"I'm--I'm sorry, kid. It isn't a replica of Driger. It's got a completely different attack and everything," Jazzy explained.

"It's still a Black Tiger!" Michael shouted angrily from the sidelines.

"Michael!" Dr. Judy commanded, "Sit down! What do you think, Emily? Is it more or less powerful than the original Driger?"

"At this point, I can't really tell."

Black Driger sliced through Lippy's blade once more before the blade completely stopped, torn in several places.

"You decide," Danika looked up, eyes narrowed dangerously. The auditorium had gone strangely quiet. Jazzy looked puzzled at her,

"You win." Lippy and the rest of the Bladehunters had gathered in a group to discuss something. A bit of clapping and whistling from supporters was heard scattered among the crowd, but for the most part, people looked disgusted.

Danika smiled triumphantly and walked back to the Wild Cheetahs. Trish smirked and tilted her head, watching Kai up on the railing. He'd been watching her the whole time, his face not bothering to hide his loathing. She winked braggartly and he scowled in response. 

"_My turn_." She stepped forward, twirling a blade in her hands. She made sure he could see it from where he was positioned. Black and swirling with red, green and yellow, it looked vaguely familiar. _Is it---?_ He seemed possessed by the blade she held. He leaned forward and reached his hand out as if wanting to grab it from her hand and keep it forever. _I've felt this before. Where have I felt this before? What's wrong with me?_

"Kai?" Hilary asked, "Are you all right?"

"---------Yes," Kai leaned back and clenched his fists at his side.

"Another hefty surprise there. No doubt Trish, the captain of the Wild Cheetahs also must have a nasty trick up her sleeve."

She gave two thumbs up as A.J. said this and he corrected himself,

"She's even confirmed it. I wouldn't take any break. This battle looks to just be warming up! Last in our deciding round is Trish of the Wild Cheetahs against Zippy of the Bladehunters. I don't think the Bladehunters have any chance of coming back, but at least if they win now, they'll win with dignity and respect."

"Fat chance!" Trish called smirking.

"Bladers, get ready!" Jazzy called.

Trish held up her blade, her face flushed.

"Don't disappoint me, Trish," Tai-Ken watched her judgmentally from behind.

She nodded, having heard his statement. 

Zippy also held up his blade, which was green.

"Hey, wait a minute…Tyson, look! That's my old Draciel! Remember, I gave it to them in the Asian Finals?"

"Hey, yeah it is!" Tyson grinned, "Maybe they made some improvements to it."

"Looks like Zippy's got a new and improved blade." Brad announced.

"Don't think it'll stand against the captain of this sure-fire rising Cheetah team, though. The dish for this selection will be the cathedral look, pillars, stage and all. The detail and sharp corners will test the blader's feel for where their blade is as well as their coordination skills," A.J. continued.

"Ready?" Jazzman recited, "3…2…1…Let it…RIP!"

Zippy let his blade rip into the stadium, trying out many different skills Max had once used. Trish grinned and ripped hers out too, slamming down hard on Zippy's blade. 

"Ouch!" Jazzman winced, "That's gotta hurt!"

"Judy!" Emily called, "The data on Trish's blade looks oddly familiar."

Judy ran up and looked down at her laptop, 

"You're right. Where have I seen that data before?"

"Well, it looks like both players are playing keep away from each other," Brad began the commentation.

"The crowd's getting restless," A.J. announced anxiously, "When are we going to see some action?"

Zippy's blade, which had been skirting in and around the poles suddenly came up closer to Trish's blade.

"That's it," she stepped back testily, "Go ahead and attack me with your pitiful blade."

"I will!" He raised a fist sharply, "ATTACK!"

His green blade came up hard against Trish's blade, forcing it into the side wall of the stage.

She screamed forcefully. Her blade pushed hard against Zippy's, which flew in the air, hit a bunch of miniature theater seats and landed at the top of the theatre. It wobbled a few times before flying down the aisle.

"Wow, that was pretty close…" Brad sighed.

"As if," Trish retorted haughtily, "Here we go then! If you thought Danika's blade was awful, check this out!! BLACK DRANZER, ATTACK NOW!"

"I thought we'd destroyed it!" Tyson's eyes went wide.

"NO! It can't be! Not again!" Michael cried.

"Uh-oh …." A.J announced ominously, leaning forward in his commentators seat, "This really is turning out to be quite a show!"

"Why won't this stupid blade just _die!?_" Lee banged his hands furiously against the back of the seat in front of him.

"She won't be able to control it. Kai was the only one that could do that!" Mariah rubbed her hands together squeamishly.

Kai stared at Black Dranzer, again slightly mesmerized by it's perfectness. _I've got to stop doing this._

With great precision, Trish made Black Dranzer turn quickly around the seats and speed up to meet Zippy's blade, which didn't stand a chance. Trish's impact knocked it up into the air, where it hit a pillar and fell without spinning again. Zippy fell down discouragingly.

"Black Dranzer was improved upon after Kai nearly destroyed the original," she boasted.

""Trish wins the third battle! Without a doubt the Wild Cheetahs are the winners! Sorry, guys: you're out of the running," Jazzman spoke to Chucky. Quick and silent murmurs spread like whiplash among the crowd.

Trish picked Black Dranzer off the floor and smirked,

"He's been wanting to do that for a very long time."

Kai finally snapped out of his trance and grabbed the railing in front of him.

"Kai! What are you doing?" Tyson leaped forward. 

Too late. Kai jumped over the side and landed a couple of feet below on the main floor. Trish turned around to face him,

"Impressive."

"What do you think you're trying to accomplish?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"I'm going to beat you. And when I beat you in the World Finals, I'll finally know I'm the better player. I'm invincible with Black Dranzer as my bit-beast."

Kai's eyes narrowed abhorrently,

"You're playing with fire, Trish. You shouldn't trust Boris."

"Do you honestly think after all this I'm just going to give it up and blow it like you did, Kai? You threw away the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Kai didn't respond.

"You gave it up because your silly friends persuaded you otherwise!" She continued, "If they hadn't interfered, you would have been the greatest blader ever! Try it, Kai! _Feel it _in your hands." 

She threw it forward and he caught it reflexively. 

"KAI DON'T!" Ray yelled as the Bladebreakers ran down the stands.

He looked down and again was possessed with a curiosity he'd never know. The black, green, and yellow blade gleamed with brightness in his hands. Black Dranzer seemed to be staring at him, to be saying "Take me, take me please. Use me…" He fingered every groove, eyes narrowed with mixed feelings. The blade felt heavy in his hands and he held it up to the light, where it glistened like a star. 

He looked past his hand and saw Trish staring at him curiously. He looked from her to the blade and curled his fingers around the black object.

"KAI!" Kenny called again from the stands, "Don't listen to her!"

"Shut up!" Trish yelled back, "It's _his_ decision!"

"What's going on?" Hilary whispered fretfully as she followed behind the boys, "Kenny? Tyson? What's wrong with Kai?"

Kai smirked and his eyes narrowed alluringly. He suddenly threw the blade down hard, smashing it onto the ground in front of her with all his might. But the impact barely made a scratch.

"YES!" Kenny raised a fist in the air and started doing a celebration dance.

"GO KAI!" Tyson yelled.

"Voltaire already tried that trick," Kai shook his head, " Leaving Black Dranzer _was_ my decision."

"Good. Then I won't have any problem claiming it as my own," she noted sourly.

"You can't claim Black Dranzer as your own. It chooses you."

"HA! Do you honestly think you were the _only_ one strong enough to control Black Dranzer, Kai?" Trish laughed abruptly, "You were just the favorite because Voltaire was your grandfather. I hold in my possession the greatest bit-beast ever!"

"Or you hold possibly the worst blade ever. Black Dranzer may be perfect with every move, but with devastating consequences to those it comes into contact with. I know you're not that cold-blooded, Trish."

"You were at one point," she bit back.

"That was cold," Max jumped forward beside Kai. The Bladebreakers had made their way to the floor and were ready to defend Kai. 

Ray suddenly launched into a series of accusations toward Danika, "I can't believe I _trusted you_!" 

"I've never betrayed your trust, Ray, because I never told you about it in the first place!" she sputtered angrily.

"That was your first mistake. It's still lying!"

"I didn't have a choice in the matter! If I'd told you then, you would have only sought to take it away from me like you're doing now!"

"I'm not trying to take it away from you. I'm trying to figure out why you have my bit-beast and how it got so powerful!"

"It's not your bit-beast, Ray. It's a replica of the original's DNA," Lee and the rest of the White Tigers came up behind them, "I figured it out."

"Good for you," Colby said sarcastically.

"I have you to thank for it, too, Colby. Should I tell everyone else some of the things you've told me?"

"_What?!_" Trish spun around, "Colby, have you been blabbing to the White Tigers?! How could you?!"

"I haven't brought anything up for a long time, Lee. What I told you is between me and you and does not concern anyone else."

Lee laughed bitterly,

"Oh, that's a good one. It doesn't concern me or you in the least."

"What did she tell you, Lee?" Ray asked.

"Don't Lee!" Colby persuaded desperately.

"It doesn't matter what she told him," Mobekai interrupted, "It's still Danika's bit-beast. It was given to her by her mother as a child and she's had it ever since."

"Mobekai!" Mariah said. _She just wouldn't believe Mobekai would take their side over hers._

"What is her mother doing with a copy of Driger?" Ray asked again, "I'm the only one that should control the power of the Driger! And Kai is the only one that should possess Black Dranzer!"

"You're wrong. No one should have Black Dranzer. It should be destroyed," Kai said determinedly, "You'll get destroyed by its power, Trish. You won't be able to eat, sleep, or think properly."

"It's not always about you, Kai! I'll prove I'm the best out of everyone by beating you! I'm _strong enough!_"

"Just look at yourself, Trish! Your common sense has been blinded by the will of the beast you hold in your hands!"

"I know what I'm doing, so just back off!"

"_You_ don't even know your own strength, either, " Danika continued at Ray, "You haven't even tapped into what you can accomplish."

"Well, if you tell me what I'm doing wrong, it would save me a lot of time and energy!"

"Black Driger belongs to me; I won't let my mother's hopes down because you have a bit-beast that looks like my own."

"Danika's an orphan," Mobekai explained.

"You're not with them, are you, Mobekai? You're not on their side, are you?" Mariah asked timidly, "You won't let her take our bit-beasts, will you?"

"Hey! Mobekai's _our _teammate! Last time I checked, he wasn't a lame White Tiger!" Colby defended.

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Mariah bared her teeth, "Mobekai, say something!"

"I can't!" He pleaded.

"Don't you dare say anything bad about your own team, Mobekai!" Danika turned around furiously.

"I'm not! I won't!"

"What?!" Mariah asked incredulously, "You don't think I'm lame, do you, Mobekai? I actually beat you in a battle!"

"You must've cheated," Danika defended.

"Mariah would _never_ cheat," Lee defended, "Our team doesn't operate that way. At least we have morals!"

"You didn't beat me, Mariah," Mobekai shook his head sadly, wanting desperately to just shrink and disappear out of sight. 

Mariah stared at Mobekai, "I _did_ beat you, fair and square."

"I saw it too," Kevin sputtered angrily, "It was impossible. How did you beat Michael and lose to Mariah?"

"That's something I would like to know very much," Michael and the rest of the All-Stars showed up behind them.

"I never lost to you, Mariah," Mobekai explained quietly, "I let you win because I thought it would please you."

"No!" She choked, "I beat you fair and square. I can do it again!"

"Mariah, please don't make me battle you…"

"You can't do that Mobekai! You made me believe something I thought was true! You lied to me! You cheated me! I can't believe…" She broke off angrily, her chest constricting painfully.

"I knew there was no way she could have beaten him," Michael said boastfully. Emily hit him hard in the ribs. 

"Ouch," he rubbed it sorely.

"Serves you right," she sniffed, "That was rude."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Mariah. I swear, honestly…" Mobekai tried to apologize.

"I want a rematch," she demanded.

"All right…"

"Now. Right here, right now," she lifted her blade up, "I want you to give me all you've got Mobekai. If you don't, I'll never forgive you. I'm not one of those girls."

"But Mariah-"

"I just want to know if you told the truth!"

He unlatched his blade from a sack hanging around his neck and stuck it on his rip chord,

"All right, Mariah. But only because you asked me too."

Mariah let her blade go furiously, all her heart set in winning. She just _had _to win this time. She _was_ better than Mobekai.

Mobekai ripped furiously as well. He frowned sadly at Mariah; he knew if he lost to her again she'd get angry at him, but she'd be angry with him if he won as well. He felt trapped.

Sure enough, Mobekai came down hard right on top of her beyblade. The impact made a crack in the floor and Mariah started running away just to stay spinning, but Mobekai wasn't finished.

"White Falcon! Attack now!"

"Galux! Scratch attack White Falcon!" Mariah countered.

The beyblades collided, but Mobekai's earlier hit had left Mariah's blade too weak. Her Galux retreated back into the spinning blade before it slowly stopped spinning on the stadium floor.

__

Just like that…she thought miserably. Her face fell considerably as she picked up her blade.

"Mariah, I--I'm sorry," he explained, "I just thought you looked so excited-I didn't want to tell you."

Kai and Trish were having a glaring contest while the rest of the teams stayed silent with Mobekai's defeat of Mariah. 

She turned around and began to walk toward the exit.

"Mariah!?" Lee called.

"Let's go, Lee. I'm tired," she choked out, continuing to walk forward. 

The rest of the White Tigers left immediately. Kevin ran up to walk with Mariah.

"We haven't done anything wrong," Kira justified, "We're just trying to win, just like you guys. You can't get mad at us for using them."

"It should be illegal; what you're doing is wrong," Tyson clenched his fists.

"This is a Beyblade Tournament. No one's ever going to play fair," Colby quoted herself painfully.

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"Mariah?" Lee peered around the kitchen window, "I'm going to go finish those waltzing lessons. Are you going to come?"

"No, you go on ahead."

"You just got some of these," he came around the corner and brought her some red roses, "Kira just dropped them off. She said they were from Mobekai."

Mariah looked at the flowers and took them reluctantly.

"I hope you're not sulking all day. That'd be awfully depressing," Kevin told her.

"Just go have some fun Kevin. Don't worry about me," Mariah buried her head in her hands. 

"Oh, I'm not going waltzing. Gary and I might go to the parks."

"You should seriously go out and do something, Mariah. There's some bread in the fridge; you can make yourself some lunch," Lee called.

Someone's hand patted her back. She looked up and saw Gary looking down concernedly at her,

"You gonna be all right?"

"Yeah, Gary. Thanks."

"Mobekai's got good intentions," Lee added a little reluctantly from the doorway. He seemed to hate hearing those words come out of his mouth. 

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"I can't believe I screwed all that up," Mobekai ran his fingers through his hair.

The creak of the door brought all of their attentions to Kira, who had just entered.

"Did she say anything?" Mobekai asked quickly.

She shrugged, "I don't know; I gave them to Lee. I couldn't see her from my position in the door."

"This is _all _falling apart," Trish grabbed her hair and yanked annoyingly.

"No, it's not. You've done a wonderful job, Trish." 

Their team sponsor, Tai-Ken, closed the door and stepped up behind Kira, his arms crossed sinisterly.

"Have you told Boris?" Trish asked crossly.

"No, but I'm sure he will be pleased."

"What's there to be pleased about? I didn't manage to do anything!" Trish yelled.

"I think you're underestimating yourself," Tai-Ken shook his head.

"If I've said this before, I'll say it again: _I want Black Dranzer!"_

"Don't undermine your position on this team, Trish. You are essentially important. But Black Dranzer is only in your possession to increase fear in the Bladebreakers and to entice Kai back. You'll get your reward."

"I want Black Dranzer as my reward, though."

"Hmmmm….I'll see what I can do. Maybe Boris will grant my request to make a copy."

"Good."

"Listen up, Trish. The faster you do your task, the faster we'll reward you, understand?" Tai-Ken looked her directly in the eyes.

"Perfectly."

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****

Final Note: Starting to come together for some of you? Good. Again, more'll be explained later, but more questions might arise as well. Thanks for reading and especially all the reviews! You guys are awesome!

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Neko-neko(): You always bring up very controversial issues! I actually did get the name Danika from a girl I knew. Isn't it so pretty? And Kira too-I got that from a girl named Kira Mortenson. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the boring lecture. Again, you reviewed twice, so you get two feedbacks! And please, if you want to take Mobekai you really can! Ray/Mariah was the motivation from the start so…sorry! );

Beybladingrl: Short, sweet and encouraging. That's what I try and shoot for, but my mouth and my fingers tend to get a bit carried away and then I spend the rest of the day shooting myself up for saying stuff I shouldn't have said. J Hehe…thanks a bunch.

Galux Kitty: Thanks for the e-mails and especially for the pictures of GRev-send me more if you ever have any free time! Mariah looks so much better there than she does in the first series; I printed it out cause I think I'm going to start a collection. And I'll get around to replying to you, but I had my 2nd ACT test this morning, Homecoming last night and I've been extremely busy this week what with lots of essays and club activities, so I'm a little pooped. 

Salena: Hey thanks! Yeah, I still have to say the first chapter was my funniest. NYwAy, you posted my first chapter, so you probably haven't reached the part where I explain that when I started writing this, Beyblade 2002 (Vforce) and Beyblade GRev haven't yet aired in the U.S. of A. In fact, Vforce is only about 14 or 15 episodes in. We always get everything last. So, Kai is just a little cold now, cause I can't exactly make him cheery like Max. 

kaz: Thanks a bunch! Gosh, I've really got to start counting how much I say that now. Anyway, I'm really excited that you could see everything happening as if it happened in the series! I also find it very ironic that to start with, I thought Max/Emily would especially be the hardest to write-guess not!

Curtis Zidane Ziraa: None taken. There are some people that like it and some people that don't; it was just to further along pairings…take a break from all the serious dung. (;

Kawaii-Lovey: Yes, they're mine too! Ray/Mariah, Tyson/Hilary and of course, I also like Max/Emily. Thanks for reviewing! 

Hehehe…I counted. I said "Thanks" (in several forms) at least 6 times. But I really mean all of them! (;


	20. Childhood Memories

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Cool Quote: 

"Hmmm…It affects us all. But you must understand, young hobbit, it takes a long time time to say anything in old Entish and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."

-Ent Treebeard to Merridoc Brandibuck and Peregrin Took in _Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ~ _I just love Lord of the Rings! *;_;* !

****

A/N: *stabs voodoo dolls SEVERALtimes* I HATE SALIMA and MIRIAM!! L I CAN'T BELIEVE that only after two days of knowing Salima, Ray and her become "close friends"! It's an outrage! It should be banned! And Miriam has no right to be flirting with Max-he belongs with Emily! Sorry, I have VERY strong opinions. I can't believe the producers dared to even _try_ and introduce them!! And Ray's got a pretty sidetracked mind; he's starting to annoy me in V-Force. Have you noticed he gets angry real easily? And in the first season, he was always the peacemaker: shy and kind and gentle. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO HIM???!!! Poor Ray. At least Salima's no more in G-Rev. HAHA! 

Sadly, I'm torturing myself further by having the Saint Shields appear. However, Miriam will have never flirted with Max. Take that!

****

Disclaimer: The author has not seen Beyblade 2002 (VForce) or G Rev, because they only just started airing, so incorrect information or misspellings about characters that might appear in the context are innocently accidental. Zen Tai-Ken, Renlee Brown, Tehran Chang, Brittney Loveless, Annelise Parker, David and Rochelle Llewellyn belong to me as well as any other additional character not associated with Beyblade. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish rightfully belong to me as well.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold Letters are songs.

****

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 20: Childhood Memories

"Hmmm…What's the appropriate word to use? Oh, I have one! Stop being a 'wuss' and kick his sorry ass, Enrique!" Robert called with his strong English accent. Then he turned to where Johnny had raised an eyebrow in skepticism,

"Wuss?"

"I heard young Tyson use it once," Robert justified, "We seem to be getting better at this team thing, don't you think?"

"A little," said Oliver, "I don't think it's improving our skills much, though."

"I think we'll improve with time," Robert turned back to the battle, which was far from exciting. Enrique hadn't even called his bit-beast and he was already beating this poorly skilled boy.

"Over! It's over already!" A.J Topper commentated, "Gee, that was a relatively fast win! The Majestics have won all three battles with amazing ease. If you're a fan…," a roar of screams appealed from the female half of the crowd, "which I'm sure a lot of you are, you'll be seeing much more of these awesome Europeans! And especially in this European sponsored tournament, they're a favorite to win."

"I'm a little sick of this," Enrique started walking with them toward the entrance, "When are we going to challenge someone worth taking the time to battle with?"

"Better be soon…" Oliver stashed his Unicolyon in his pocket.

"Enrique! Enrique, dear!" Johnny rolled his eyes and stuck his hands in his pockets annoyingly. Robert and Oliver turned around, eyebrows raised with speculation. Enrique turned as Alexandra pushed her way through the crowd. She had long dark green hair, astonishingly green eyes and freckles along her cheekbone. She was wearing a (take a guess!) light green sleeveless top with white capri's. 

"Beautiful!?" Enrique hugged her slowly, "What have you been up to?"

"Watching you battle, silly. What else would I be doing?"

"Shopping?" He asked, a slight smile on his face.

She giggled and put her hands in his belt loop, whispering,

"You always know me too well."

"What's up with the baby talk?" Oliver asked.

She turned and her girlish façade disappeared. She raised her hands and twirled around, batting her eyelashes,

"Hehe…who do I remind you of?"

Oliver stared. Robert frowned and Johnny's jaw dropped at her seemingly stupid question,

"Don't gape at me!" She forced Johnny's chin up, "I'm pretending to be all of Enrique's past girls!"

…………

"Oh!" Johnny hit his face fakely, "Silly me, I didn't notice at all!"

She shook her head angrily and turned back to Enrique, who was laughing. He put an arm around her,

"I got it, Alexa."

"Good. I'm glad you did," she kissed him on the lips. She was about to pull away, but he moved his hands down around her waist and kissed her back more passionately. She licked his lips and came up for air a couple of seconds later,

"I love you, Enrique."

"Same here," he put an arm around her.

She looked up, expecting something more, and when he looked away, she sighed. _Guys could never say "I love you" back!_

"Hey, where did the others go?" Enrique looked around. The rest of the Majestics were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, well. I guess it's better this way," she pulled him off down a street.

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"They declined," Cale reported, shifting nervously from side to side, "They won't take the million each."

"They can't be serious!" Boris shook his fists angrily.

"They are millionaires already, Boris," a man behind him spoke quietly, "I told you that would not be enough to persuade them."

"I understand now, Voltaire. We'll have to defeat them, then. No problem there, I'm sure. And when we're done with the Majestics and Saint Shields, we'll take care of the Bladebreakers, All-Stars, and White Tigers, like Tai-Ken asked."

"Don't even worry about it," Voltaire frowned, "We'll be taking the Wild Cheetah's bit-beasts soon anyway."

Boris turned back to face Cale, "Your service is appreciated." 

He placed a bag full of coins in his hands. His face brightened and he turned to his friend, Jacob,

"Should I get something for Samantha?"

"Nah; she'll just dump it anyway," they walked out of the room.

"Wait just a minute," Boris demanded. Cale turned back, but he shook his head,

"No, this time I want Jacob."

Jacob spun around and Boris continued thoughtfully,

"Tell Trish I would like to speak with her about Tai-Ken. Don't bring Cale. If he shows up again around there, they'll start asking questions."

Jacob nodded and Boris turned around, looking Voltaire in the eyes, probing to see if he knew what had just occurred to him. Voltaire nodded with understanding,

"I see."

"Sir?" Tala asked timidly from the side, where he and the rest of the Demolition Boys stood almost motionless.

"Yes, Tala?" Boris gave him his full attention.

"If we do this, we might get caught. But if we could manage everything and pin the blame on someone else…"

"A faulty mistake on our part. Yes! Good job, Tala. The idiotic BBA is still annoyingly close to finding us," said Boris.

"Everything is being handled perfectly," Voltaire clasped his hands together, "I never thought it could be this easy. With Trish on Zen's team there and our boys here, taking every bit-beast will be easy."

"What about that boy that Tai-Ken wants so badly?"

"Let him deal with it; it seems every time we try to offer help, he rebukes it. He can waste his time on the boy while we get done what we need to here."

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"I can't believe the Wild Cheetahs would do that!" Tyson paced back and forth in their room.

"Stop your belly-aching," Kai looked up from where he was leaning against the door, "Since when have the Wild Cheetah's actually been trustworthy? You were fooled into assuming they were your friends."

"Well, they seemed nice enough at the time!" Ray leaned back on his bed. Hilary sat cross-legged beside him, watching everyone curiously,

"I don't get it. Why were those two bit-beasts particularly upsetting to everyone?"

"We can't do anything about it," said Max, "Just like Kira said. The only way to defeat Black Dranzer is to defeat it again, which won't be easy."

"What in the world is Black Dranzer?" Hilary persisted again.

"That's right!" Kenny ignored Hilary's ticking, "And Black Driger could give us just as much trouble. It doesn't sound too appeasing."

"If there's a Black Driger, there must be different makes of other bit-beasts," Dizzi explained, "Logically, there must be a Black Draciel, a Black Dragoon, a Black-"

"We get it, Dizzi," Ray interrupted, "Sorry, but that doesn't fit, either. Black Dranzer was made by BioVolt. Who's to say that Black Driger wasn't also made by someone?"

"Hmmm…good point," she acquiesced, "What about those cyber bit-beasts-cyber Draciel, Driger, Dranzer and Dragoon? What happens if they show up then?"

"They won't," Kai stated firmly, "Gideon created those bit-beasts, not Voltaire; and Gideon hasn't shown his ugly face since his last team was defeated."

"We need to figure out how and why Black Driger was made, then," Kenny typed something into Dizzy, "Somehow, the Wild Cheetahs used an electromagnetic field to block any technological device from deriving evidence."

"Ummmm…In English?" Tyson asked.

"We don't know how to defeat these guys! I still don't have _any_ data on them because they blocked it somehow!"

"That doesn't sound good." Max concluded.

"Hello?"

They looked up and saw that Mrs. Llewellyn had entered the kitchen. She called out,

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm dropping off some food for you and then I need to leave again."

Tyson's eyes crossed annoyingly,

"Our baby-sitter just arrived." 

"Weren't you supposed to see us at the match?" Ray asked.

"Oh yes! And I did see you at the match. Then I had to leave again."

"Gosh, she seems like more of a busybody than me…" Dizzi said quietly.

"Anyway, hope you don't mind my intrusion," she pulled the door behind her, "Have a safe trip to Germany. I'll be there to pick you up."

"Bye!" Hilary waved.

"You know what?" Max said as soon as she'd gone, "Another thing I'd like to know is where Trish _got_ Black Dranzer!? Black Dranzer used to belong to BioVolt, which means that the Wild Cheetahs must be working for BioVolt."

"Maybe. Trish said she grew up in Balkov Abbey," said Kai.

"Really?" Ray asked.

"I didn't know that," said Tyson.

"All right. So we know for sure then, that the Wild Cheetah's are working for BioVolt, or what's left of it. We should watch out for them," said Kenny.

"I'm not sure…" Kai began.

"What?" Max asked, "You're not sure--?"

"I'm not sure it's the entire team. BioVolt doesn't exist anymore and the BBA is looking for traces of the company, mainly Boris and Voltaire, which means the Wild Cheetah's now risk close investigation. If the whole team is involved, that is. No, I think it's just individual members. And there could be more from other teams," said Kai.

"That narrows our list of bladers to trust," said Ray.

"We shouldn't trust anyone else that's not a member of this team. It's that simple."

"There are some people we know we can trust," Max defended.

"I'm not going to get into this with you, Max, so just drop it," Kai warned.

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"Well, what have we got here? Hey cutie! What's your name?"

"_Uggh_…" Miriam sat up and pushed the boy away forcefully, "If I'd wanted to know a stupid pick up line, I would have asked you first."

"Spunk! I like that," he grinned.

"Tehran!" A rough voice called angrily, "I should have known!"

The boy named Tehran turned,

"Ah, Brittney, what do you want now?"

The girl called Brittney had braided blond hair and blue eyes. She had on black gloves, a T-shirt and baggy pants. A heart tattoo was visible just underneath her left armsleeve. She walked into the convenience store and looked around briefly,

"Renlee wanted us to meet her at the hotel so we could talk about a practicing schedule."

"We've been beyblading all day! What's her problem?" 

Miriam sat up straighter and listened more closely. _These two must be in the tournament._

"She's just nervous. Besides, David's taking us on that horseback excursion this afternoon for fun."

"Fabulous." 

He paid for some gum and soda bottles, but before he exited the store, he winked at Miriam. She rolled her eyes and exited the shop by way of the back door.

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"Hi Samantha! Guess what?" Cale stepped up to the beautiful nine-year old. She had tightly packed blonde ringlets around her face and hazel eyes. She looked up,

"Oh, hey Cale. What do you want?"

"I---got some money. Do you want to go do something?"

"No, not today."

"How about tomorrow then?"

"I'm busy tomorrow."

"What's wrong, Samantha? You used to hang with me all the time and now you don't want to do anything with me."

"Katharine says she has seen you leave after school with bad men and she said I shouldn't hang out around you."

"And you're going to take her side over mine?" he asked testily, "They aren't mean, honestly, they gave me this!" He held up a bag full of jingling coins.

"I'm sorry, Cale. I just don't think what you are doing is right."

"But Samantha!"

"When you want to hang around me and start acting like yourself, I'll gladly start being your friend again."

"All right! I won't see those men ever again! I promise!"

"Really?" her eyes widened in surprise, "Just like that? You'll drop them just to keep our friendship?"

"Oh yes!"

"But you still have Jacob!"

"I know. But I don't want you to be angry with me!"

"Okay," she smiled, "As long as I don't see you with them again I trust you."

"Why do you hate them so?"

"Not hate them really-I fear them."

"Why? They've never hurt Jacob or I."

"Has Jacob been with them too?"

"Yes! He just got his first assignment today!"

"Assignment?"

"Oh, yeah. All we have to do is go deliver a message and we get paid for it! It's easy!"

"How much do you get paid?"

"I don't know. A lot," he lifted the bag, "But I won't ever do it again if you don't want me to!"

"I can't believe you'd give up money just to be my friend. That means a lot to me, Cale! Thanks!" she hugged him adoringly.

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"The boy's name was Tehran and the girls name was Brittney. I think they're British," Miriam told Ozuma, Dunga and Joseph in another small warehouse a couple of buildings away from the convenience store.

"Do you think they could be a threat?" Ozuma asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I haven't seen them battle."

"They're probably just all talk," Joseph sat on a box in the corner.

"Of course, they haven't seen us battle either," Miriam said, "Nor did they know I was a beyblader."

"That's right. And that could be an advantage if we already know what they're capable of," Ozuma smiled at Dunga who nodded and clenched his fists,

"Let's go challenge them to a battle then!"  
"No," Ozuma shook his head, "We'll watch them battle from afar off and learn their skills. We can get them out of the way easily. Joseph?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way already," he disappeared out the door and began running down the alley, searching for anything or anyone that matched Miriam's descriptions.

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"I'm feeling particularly violent at the moment," Bryan smashed his hands together hard, and looked up at Tala from beneath his big narrowed eyebrows.

"That's good, Bryan," Tala didn't even bother to look at him. Ian walked along the other side and Spencer followed silently from behind.

"I wish Boris had given us an assignment," Ian yawned, "I'm bored."

"We could battle each other in the park," Spencer suggested.

"Primary," Tala repeated curtly.

"We could go spy on other teams," Bryan suggested, "Or go battle other teams. I want to tear apart some beyblades."

"That's expected," Tala replied again, "Let's just go look around in shops."

"You mean, like a girl?" Spencer replied, extremely disgusted.

"_Beyblading_ shops you twit," said Tala, "Then we'll just go hang out around the hotel. No point walking around with nothing else to do."

"I still say we go spy on other teams," Bryan looked away angrily.

"Patience, Bryan. You'll get to do that soon."

"Three days isn't soon. And with Boris' new little 'helpers', all we can do is just sit around and wait to battle."

"That's not exactly a bad idea," a voice said from behind them, "At least you'd get a life."

"If it isn't the Majestics!" Ian turned around, grinning, "Look, Bryan, you can rip apart someone's beyblade now!"

Oliver, Robert, and Johnny had just come out of the nearest shop, their eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Robert replied haughtily,

"The only ripping apart will be of your foul mouth."

"We'll save the language and bad opinions for our match," Tala said, "But you'd better watch your backs, Majestics, or you'll end up in the same sticky situation you did last time."

"You've been able to beyblade this far, Tala, but if the BBA finds you anywhere near Voltaire, you'll face serious jail time. I'd be watching your own back," Oliver retorted.

"_Oh_!" Tala laughed briefly, "We'll be _fine, _believeme. Have a good day!"

He and the rest of the Demolition Boys walked off, Ian and Spencer chuckling.

"I want to see every one of them tortured and hanged," Johnny folded his arms angrily.

"I can't believe they're allowing Boris to enter the Demolition Boys after what happened last time," Oliver protested.

"Technically, Boris was just a pawn for Voltaire's evil plan. He probably still is; And when they do find Voltaire, the Demolition Boys will have _nothing_ to gloat about," Robert concluded, his eyes narrowed at their retreating backs.

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Joseph crawled through the vents of a large private hotel by the name of _Esquire Central._ This team must've had a lot of dough if they could afford places like this on a common basis. 

He was following the boy, Tehran, that Miriam had described. He was almost sure it was the same boy. He kept stopping to flirt with every girl he met. It was a little annoying. Joseph's elbows were starting to hurt and he was sure he had lock-knee. 

The boy finally entered a room on the 5th floor and Joseph turned left. The vent narrowed, but he managed to crawl all the way through until he hovered over an opening, which revealed the spacious main living quarters of the hotel room. The boy, Tehran had wild dark blonde hair and black eyes. He was wearing a loose T-shirt and cargo pants with tennis shoes. Only one other girl was in the room; she was wearing a jean skirt, a 3/4-inch sleeve, a hemp bracelet and she had brown hair with blonde streaks and sea green eyes. 

"Hey Renlee," he dropped his bag onto the floor and took off his watch, which he also tossed onto the counter.

"Hey Tehran!" She looked up from the desk. 

She was carrying a computer chip in one hand and she was inserting different types of these chips into a small electronic carrier. The carrier was then emitting a 3-d type of visualization onto the wall depicting a Beyblade battle. Each chip carried different battle simulations and on her command, she could always control the yellow Beyblade on the wall. 

"Do you like it?" She asked, quite pleased with his sudden fascination, "Rochelle made it. She sent it to David this morning. He's out getting some more computer chips so she can send more files. Take a seat."

"So…What is it supposed to do?"

"Each of these chips," she held one up, "contain data on a previous battle fought by some of the top Beybladers in the country."

"Awesome…" Joseph leaned forward intently from his position in the vents.

"This way we can practice our skills against the top of the top without having to actually battle in person," she leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms pleasantly, "I love it. That's why I had Brittney go get you. She should be back soon with Annelise."

"Can I try?" he asked, pulling up a chair.

"Sure! There's two, so we could also battle each other if no appropriate blading ground is available."

"Like on a plane or a bus?"

"Exactly."

"What's this?" He pointed to an information display on the side of the carrier.

"When you place a computer chip in, you can store, edit, or analyze data within the chip. You can use these buttons here to type in additional information; But Rochelle already has important details on the chips."

Tehran picked up a purple chip and placed it in the carrier,

"Have you done this one before?"

"No, but it was among the eight that Rochelle had marked 'Important'."

The information display beeped briefly and tiny lines of writing appeared:

****

Bit-Beast Name: Dragoon

****

Bit-Beast Animal: Dragon

****

Name of Owner: Tyson Granger

****

Attack: Dragoon Storm

****

Defense: ?

****

Type: Attack 

****

Overall Skill: Extremely skilled

****

Other Information: World Champion, 1st in Asia, America, Russia.

Joseph could vaguely make out the lines from above, but the computer animated Beyblade spinning right over the carrier was very familiar. He didn't have to see the writing to know whose Beyblade was going to be cast on the wall.

"Great!" Tehran grabbed the carrier excitedly, "I'm ready for this one."

"Simulation Start," Renlee spoke aloud.

A yellow beyblade started spinning on the wall, then came the words,

"3…2…1…Let it Rip!"

Another gray beyblade suddenly flew out of nowhere, with the signature Dragoon chip quite visible. It hit the yellow blade hard.

"Not quite! Attack him back!"

The yellow blade came back, but a familiar voice from nowhere suddenly yelled,

__

"Dragoon! Storm attack!"

A gust of real life gale winds suddenly blew into the hotel room. Renlee grabbed a few stray papers and placed a book over the rest. The winds knocked the yellow chip off the screen and an immediate sign appeared,

****

Game Over.

"That was pathetic," Tehran stared shamefully.

"Actually, that was pretty good," Renlee picked up her Beyblade and tore off her chip, "You see, that was just a regular, pretty common blade, with no attacks or defense. Not your regular beyblade. But once I insert my own chip _here…"_ She placed her bit-chip in a slot below the one already sticking out of the computer, "…Things change."

****

An unknown bit-chip has been placed in the slot. Continue?

"Yes," Renlee pressed a button that said 'Zoom Out'. The screen became enlarged so that they could now see the entire beystadium on the wall.

****

The name of the unknown bit-beast?

"Miranda."

****

Bit-Beast Animal?

"A Panda Bear."

****

Premode Attack on or off?

"Off. I'll control the attack myself."

****

Please wait for one moment while the carrier processes your information…

Joseph inched forward and his foot hit the side of the vent hard. Tehran looked up instinctively and scanned the ceiling. Renlee looked up briefly before focusing her attention on the carrier again.

"I think we might have a spy…" Tehran stepped forward. He looked up directly into Joseph's eyes, though Joseph couldn't tell whether he could actually see him or not. He held absolutely still.

"Never mind about that right now; it was probably just a block in the air flow. No one knows we're even here anyway. Check this out: Simulation Start!"

Tehran turned away from the vent and walked behind her chair.

Joseph turned around in the vent slowly. The sound of colliding beyblades could be heard from the room below. He crawled through to the larger opening and their voices became smaller. The last thing he could strain to hear was Renlee calling her bit-beast to attack.

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Annelise Parker was roaming a very large two-story beyblade shop in the heart of Scotland. She had curly blonde hair and light brown eyes. She was wearing jean shorts, flip-flops, and a white short sleeved shirt. She was looking at different rip-chords. Minute was her bit-beast; a wild mustang with a free-willed spirit. Completely the opposite of her, but Minute was a true companion. She wish she had a real horse to ride. 

"Those are some cute designs. You should try this one," a young sales clerk assistant with black hair and hazel eyes was taking down some tan rip chords with racing horses on them.

"How did you know that I-?"

"It's on your purse: there."

Her purse was light brown with a beautifully enlarged picture of her mustang. 

"Thank you," she took the rip-chord from him.

"You should also go check upstairs. There are a lot of good simulators up there."

"Thank you!" She walked away, but did not continue upstairs like he had suggested. She stood in front of the check out line and watched a pair of nine-ten year olds looking at individual beyblades. The girls hair was blonde and curly like her own,

"Oh, I like that one Cale!"

"This one? No, you should try this one-it's got more attack!"

"Ooooh! And it's so pretty too!"

She'd been in that position before; she remembered all too well visiting her first beyblade store with _him_. It'd been a long time ago. 

__

"Anne! Over here!" he prodded her excitedly toward a similar corner, "My sister says this is a great blade. You should get it!"

"But your sister might have it already!" the curly blonde squeaked to her red-haired friend.

"No, she doesn't-I know for sure," he turned, his blue eyes sparkling, "You should get it!"

"Oh, all right. If you say so!"

And there were more experiences like that: her first battle, her first win, her first loss and her first view into the obsessive addiction of blading:

__

"You won't leave me, will you Tal?! You can't _leave me!"_

"I have to, Anne! It's the only way! This is the only way I can really know-he say's I have talent_ Anne!"_

"Don't leave, please!"

"Oh, c'mon, Anne! We'll see each other again-I'm almost sure of it! And I'll be a great blader-you just wait! You'll be glad I left!"

"I won't ever be glad if you leave, Tal! I want you to stay…here, _where you should belong. You can get better _here_!"_

"I'll never improve here, Anne and you know it. Russia only sponsors beybladers that enter this_ program!"_

"Then let me give you this," she placed a ring into his palm, "You keep this until we meet again. Before I die, Tala, I want this ring back."

"I promise. I'll return Anne, and I'll give your ring back."

"You better!"

He did leave, only two days later, and she moved to England, where she was disparaged even further from the thought of seeing him. She had no way of contacting him to let him know she was no longer living in Russia. 

"Next please!" The available woman behind the counter called.

Annelise stepped forward and placed her new rip-chord onto the table.

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"_Excuse_ me," Spencer pushed the girl back. She crossed her arms indignantly and Ian stepped back,

"Spencer. Ladies First," he gestured impatiently as she walked through the door of the beyblading shop. She stepped to the side and started perusing the shop for someone. The Demolition Boys entered and immediately headed for the stairs. They weren't interested in trivial rip-chords, beyblades or their various parts. Tala was people-watching below as they ascended the staircase. The girl that had entered with them had approached another girl that had just finished checking out her things. She had curly blonde hair and light brown eyes. There was something oddly familiar about her…

"Hey Tala. I think I've found something," Ian held up a magnetic charger. Tala focused his attentions back on their current situation

"We've already tried that," he dismissed, "It just screws up our attack patterns. Boris tried it a year ago."

"How in the world can you remember something like that?" Spencer asked, folding his arms. He started watching a battle between two young kids with interest.

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*kNoCk*

"Come in!" Danika called. Kira and Colby were the only ones interested in continuing the dance lessons and had left already for the institute located in the urban streets of Austria. Colby hadn't actually wanted to go, but since Trish was in a foul mood with her about spilling information, she had decided it was best to go. 

The door opened and a small boy with tussled brown hair and small green eyes poked his head through,

"Is Trish here?"

Danika looked a little surprised to see this nine-year old boy asking for Trish. She heard some rustling behind her and Trish walked by her, pulling the boy into the kitchen. They talked quietly, but Danika could hear them:

"Boris would like to talk to you about Tai-Ken."

"When does he want to meet me?" she replied.

"He didn't give a specific time, but I would imagine as soon as you possibly can."

"Thanks for coming all this way to tell me, Jacob."

"They were orders, actually."

"Would you like something to eat before you leave?"

"Oh, yes! That would be nice!"

__

That's nice of her, Danika thought. In fact, that was the nicest she'd ever seen of Trish. She just must suppress her good side more often than she allowed herself to reveal. 

__

I wonder why Boris would want to talk to Trish alone about Tai-Ken?

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"Gosh, I've been looking _everywhere_ for you! Renlee's got something _awesome_ she wants to show us," Brittney took Annelise's arm and led her through the crowd.

"So soon?" Annelise asked innocently.

"Yeah. Hey, the sooner we practice this, the sooner we can go horseback riding, right?"

"Right!" Annelise's face lit up. The rush of memories she just had had poured back into her mind and a tingling sensation shot up her spine. She stopped at the door and turned around to look through the crowd again. The same faces greeted her as before, but she couldn't help but think he was near. It was a silly thought, really, as she hadn't seen him in about 8-9 years; maybe it was just a hope. 

She did have the feeling that she would meet him-maybe soon. She knew she would, in fact. She could feel it in her heart. The European tournament was hosting the best bladers from around the world and Tala had given the promise that he would be great. She'd be awfully disappointed if he'd left and hadn't achieved his goal. 

He was most definitely here somewhere.

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Final Note: Awww-How about THAT?! I really like this chapter a lot~I finally introduce more characters from Team A. Anyway, I let slip a few plot twists if you have the time to look for them! 

Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

kaz: Are you kidding? Tyson so must like Hilary-they're so cute together! Though neither want to admit it-they're like a match made in heaven! Well, by the end of the story you'll learn why Mobekai did what he did-he's not bad at all, really.

kaz: I totally agree with you! Ray's annoying me in V-Force with all his anger/dead brain ideas and I hate Salima, so you can diss her all you want! Mariah's birthday isn't over~It'll get better, she needs it. 

Ice Archer Girl: AHHHHH! RAY does NOT show interest in SALIMA! His mind is screwed up at this point-that's all! But G-Rev does him some good. Not to be dumping on your p.o.v. of course; if you wrote a story about R/S, I would read it. I might not like it that much, but I'll read it. I've read stories that were Ray/OC before that I've actually liked….like yours! (;

Beybladingrl: Thanks~Here's Chapter Twenty!

Galux Kitty: (*laughs*) What's with the hopping? 'Behind Every Good Thief'-I do believe that's the first time I've ever heard that expression and I just love it!

Galux Kitty: How weird is that? That's the quote I'm doing next! (*sighs*) I can't wait for RofK-It's going to be so awesome! I love pictures-they're one of my various forms of friends! More, I say! More! Lee looks really different in GRev-his nose isn't big anymore. Hehehe…My friends like to make fun of that. I just think it's cute-*;_;* And if I'd actually _gone _to Homecoming, Ray would have been my partner! YAH! I have so many guys on my Hot/Cute/Sexy list, I should just make my own Harlem. There's Ray, Kai, Tala, Lee, Orlando Bloom, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Xellos, Zelgadis, Spike, Subaru, and so much much more!

Bimbo-blonde: Wow! That's the best compliment I have ever received-thanks so very very much! I can't believe you noticed all that-I really am very very happy that you stopped to tell me! (showers everyone with cookies half-baked) Yea!

Cheril X: HaHA-If Ray's going to be Meow Mix, I'm going to be the cat! Meow! And Kai's obsessive compulsive disorder with Dranzer-that was just awesome! (tears come down from eyes) I'm still laughing...hold on just a moment! Good commentary! Yes, that made my day.

Cheril X: Uh-oh….Kai's talking to himself again. Must be the little voices in his head. I guess I should never let Hilary near a pocket knife; nothing good will every come of that. O_o. 

Kawaii-Lovey: Who else would he get together with? They're just so cute together! Here's the formula, see, for a good Hilary/Tyson story: a little hate, a pocket knife here and there, touchy-feely moments, Hilary, Tyson, the little voices in their head, and of course, lots of Hilary bashing and lots of Tyson bashing = a good Tyson/Hilary love/hate story! Yeah!


	21. Birthday Surprises

****

Ahh! I'm back, refreshed, and ready to kick some----! *censor* Darnit! Well, anyway, thanks for the break. (;

Cool Quote: 

Sam: "Tell me more about Mr. Frodo! I want to hear more about him. Oh, sure! Frodo was really courageous. He was the greatest of all the hobbits there ever was."

Frodo: "Heh! You've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the Brave! I want to hear more about Sam. Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam."

Sam: "Now, Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun! I was being serious!"

Frodo: "So was I."

Sam Gamgee and Frodo Baggins in _Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers._

****

A/N: This chapter might be a little…okay, REALLY sappy when it comes to (*ahem* DUH!) Mobekai/Mariah. But I know a lot of you like that. Not liking M/M, of course. I meant a lot of you like sap sometimes. I know I do.

****

Disclaimer: The author has not seen Beyblade 2002 (VForce) or G Rev, because they only just started airing, so incorrect information or misspellings about characters that might appear in the context are innocently accidental. Zen Tai-Ken, Renlee Brown, Tehran Chang, Brittney Loveless, Annelise Parker, David and Rochelle Llewellyn belong to me as well as any other additional character not associated with Beyblade. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish rightfully belong to me as well.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

The song below is "Where are you now?" by Michelle Branch.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 21: Birthday Surprises 

"That's it? Ah, these guys won't be hard to beat at all," Dunga took a bite out of his handmade sandwich. Joseph had come back and repeated everything he'd done and seen in the past hour.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge," Ozuma stepped forward, "Remember, Joseph had to leave before they used any of their bit-beasts."

"Hey! I did get the names of a few," said Joseph.

"Yes, but that doesn't help us at all," Miriam jumped down and grabbed the sandwich out of Dunga's hands just as he was about to eat it. She took a bite and closed her eyes teasingly,

"Thanks Dunga!"

He scowled.

"The point is, we still don't know whether they're good or not," Ozuma sat down on one of the crates.

"Yes, but we do know one thing," Miriam finished the sandwich and licked her fingers.

"And what's that?" Dunga asked bitterly.

"We know for sure that the Bladebreakers are in this tournament."

"We already knew that," Joseph sighed.

"Oh, Joseph, why do you have to spoil everything? I was just trying to be positive about it all."

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"We're back!" Danika heard Colby slam the door close.

Danika came out and Colby came rushing up to her. Danika gaped,

"You're wearing a…dress?"

"Yep! We were all forced to wear tuxedos and dresses. You really missed out on a lot of fun! You should go back later!"

"Umm…no thanks."

"Is there something wrong?" Colby asked, closing the door to their room so she could change.

Kira sighed behind them,

"I guess I'll take the bathroom then…"

Danika leaned up against Colby's door,

"I think Trish is trying to hide something from us. I feel like I'm being used as a guinea pig in one of her schemes."

"What makes you think that?"

"There was a boy over this afternoon that I'd never met before. Somehow, he and Trish were the best of friends."

"_A boy_?" Colby asked in a taunting voice.

"A ten year old," Danika rolled her eyes.

Colby opened the door and Danika turned around.

"Why are you afraid of a ten year old?"

"I think he might work for Boris."

Colby made a queer phiffing noise between her teeth, "Look, don't worry about it, Danika. The BBA doesn't allow a one member team. We'll be in this till the end and then we won't even have to worry about putting up with her because you and Mobekai will be co-captains again."

"I don't care about that anymore. There's something else going on here besides winning this stupid tournament."

"Have you talked to Trish about what you're thinking?"

"You know Trish. She'll just give me the cold shoulder."

"I don't know what else to say to you. I'm not Madame Zimbabwe. I can't predict the future."

"So this doesn't worry you at all then?"

"Of course it does! Of all people, I should be more worried than you. Trish doesn't trust you as much as she thinks she trusts me. I've run countless unanswered errands for her. I just think worrying about it isn't going to get you anywhere."

"You're right, of course," said Danika.

"So, where is Trish anyway?" Colby looked around.

"Out somewhere. She never tells me where she's going."

Colby could hear the water running in one of the rooms.

"Mobekai's showering?" 

Kira came out of the bathroom, back in some jeans and a loose t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. 

"Yes; I think he's actually going to walk over to the White Tigers room to talk to Mariah," Danika explained.

"As much as I love Mobekai, I'd have to take Mariah's side in saying how awful that was for him to make her believe she had won," said Kira.

"They'll make up eventually. Mariah won't be able to stay mad today with all the things we're planning to do for her," Colby slouched over the wooden divider separating the back rooms with the living room.

"Please don't mention Mariah right now," Mobekai came in, shaking his wet hair back and forth, spraying them with water.

"Fabulous," Colby stood up quickly and looked down sarcastically, "I was _so_ dry a couple of minutes ago."

"Morning sunshine!" Mobekai grinned, kissing her sloppily on the cheek.

"Ugghh…" Colby wiped her face with her sweater.

"Who are you and what have you done with the Mobekai I saw ten minutes ago?" Danika demanded.

"I just feel a little better…"

"I'll say," Colby rolled her eyes, "I didn't know showers could work such wonders!"

"_Anyway, _I'm going to try talking to Mariah one more time. I'll be back soon if I don't succeed, but if not, don't wait for me."

"Good Luck!" Danika laughed loudly, shutting the door behind him. She turned around abruptly, her fake grin fading, "He'll be back in twenty minutes. Tops."

"How sad," Kira sympathized, "He might have some luck if he tries real hard."

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Annelise shut the door behind Brittany and set her bags down,

"Hi guys. What's up?"

"Look at this!" Tehran spoke quickly before commanding, "Dodge him! Get out of the way! NO!"

"Tehran!" Renlee gaped, "You can't do that!"

"Well, I realize that _now!_ I've lost," he leaned back in the chair.

"It's a simulation!" Brittany was instantaneously mesmerized, pulling up a chair to try it out herself. Annelise looked over Tehran's chair,

"Did Rochelle send that?"

"Yes-they're blades from Group B. That way, we're ready to battle them later."

"What about the people here in Group A? We have to beat them first you know," Brittany looked up, "Aw, yeah! I just won!"

"Brittany, dearest, that's because your opponent doesn't have a bit-beast," Annelise pointed to the screen.

"Same thing," she shrugged and picked up a banana, "How old is this stupid thing anyway? Look at this mold!" 

She dumped all of the green-yellow bananas in the trash.

"I just bought those!" Renlee cried, "They're not moldy! They're still ripe!"

"Oooops," Brittany bent over the trashcan, "Well, who taught you to pick out bananas anyway? You'd have needed to buy more sooner or later. We can't just wait for food to mature when we're starving! So technically, I did you a favor."

Renlee glared and answered the topic at hand,

"We already have enough information on all the teams here in Group A. I just downloaded a bunch of stuff onto Annelise's computer. Through the BBA site, you can also see the stats for many of the teams in Group B."

Annelise remembered that Tala might be here somewhere and grew excited at the thought that she could locate him soon. 

"Really?" Annelise asked, "Where did you put my PC anyway?"

"It's in the bedroom."

"Good," she disappeared into the back. The door slammed and all three remaining heads shot up at the noise. A boy with black hair, hazel eyes, an earing in one ear, a can of Pepsi in the one hand, a sack in the other and khaki shorts and baggy T-shirt stood before them.

"Will! Oh, good, I couldn't find you _anywhere!_" Brittany exclaimed

"I choose when I want to be found," he disappeared into the back.

"And we're back to the SuperiorUpdate: Grump of the year has finally decided to grace us with his royally painful presence," Renlee commentated, rolling her eyes.

"It's almost three; we should head out for the stables," Brittany slipped some boots on, "I'm ready to start riding!"

Tehran opened the door,

"I'll go bring the car out front and meet you there."

"See you," Renlee waved. Brittany went into the bathroom and washed her face off while Annelise packed her laptop.

"What're you bringing that for?" Brittany asked, hanging the towel up, "You can just look at it when you get back."

"I want to see it now. Besides, it'll give me something to do in the car."

"That's what CD's are for, girl!" Brittany held up her albums.

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__

Ring! Ring!

Mariah got up so quickly that her foot got tangled in the unmade bed sheets and she fell, pulling the phone cord with her. She pushed her hair out of the way and picked up the receiver,

"Hello?"

#Mariah? It's Lee.#

He sounded concerned and she felt disappointed,

"Oh. Hey, Lee. Where are you guys?"

#We decided to stop and get something to eat. Do you want me to bring something home for you?#

"No; I'm not hungry right now."

#Are you all right?# He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," her voice raised a bit as if to prove herself, "I'm just not hungry, really."

#Okay, well, if you do intend to leave later, just leave a note. We'll see you later, all right?#

"Bye Lee."

#Bye.#

She placed the receiver back down and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. Someone knocked on the door and she got up curiously, knowing it wasn't the rest of her teammates. She straightened her shirt and pants and curled her loose hair around her ear before opening the door. 

It was Mobekai.

"Mariah?" He asked, not quite expecting to see her at the door.

She shut the door angrily, upset that she had actually gotten up for him and was about to turn around, but he continued to talk outside the door. 

"C'mon, Mariah. Just talk to me for a few minutes. That's all I'm asking for. I don't want you to be angry with me. And even if we don't get back together again, can we at least stay at a level where we can be friends?"

She smiled and leaned against the wall to listen to what he had to say. _Just for a few minutes_, she told herself. He was silent for a few moments, but he continued, thinking she might hear him,

"I know it sounds like an awful shock that you didn't actually beat me fair and square. And I lied to you. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking lying about my skills would give me the advantage later. I lied because you were happy when you won and I liked seeing you smile."

By now, she thought, he must've sounded and looked completely stupid standing there in the hallway talking to a door. She reached out to grab the handle, but her stubborn persistance persuaded her to just turn around and lean quietly against the door. 

"You're completely right: I was a jerk. And there might be more times when I'll be a jerk. But I'd never intentionally try and hurt you, Mariah. I love you."

She turned around and opened the door. He looked a little surprised, as if he hadn't even thought she'd been listening. She couldn't find her voice and instead wrapped her arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she whispered against his slightly damp hair,

"I love you too, Mobekai," She pulled back, grinning shyly, before kissing him,

"I could never stay mad for such a long time at someone that would say something as sweet as that."

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Bryan had fallen quiet and lagged behind the rest of the group as they walked on the sidewalk beside the main street. Spencer had shouldered his large gun-like shooter and Ian scowled every few minutes, probably out of annoyance. Tala rolled his eyes back and forth without moving his head as he scoped out people on either side of him. It was a habit to be weary of those around him. Something he must have picked up from Boris.

After about the 19th time that Ian had scowled at someone he decided he didn't like that much, Spencer hit him over the top of the head,

"Stop that. That's annoying."

Ian rubbed his head and pulled a face in Spencer's direction, but nonetheless shut up. 

There was a large crowd gathering outside a gourmet shop and Tala could spot an all too familiar crop of purple hair. 

"This way…" he led them through a small opening. Ian and Bryan followed. Spencer just pushed people aside that were in his way. He got to the other side first and when Tala and Ian couldn't get through three woman laughing amongst themselves, Spencer pushed aside two more men and Tala, Ian, and Bryan maneuvered around them. 

Tala turned around to look at the crowd once they were out of earshot,

"Our favorite group of Europeans were cooking up something for their selfishly captivated audience. Figures…"

"I didn't even know the Majestics could cook," Ian snickered.

"They probably can't," Bryan spoke from behind quite coolly. 

Tala was walking slightly ahead of him, with Ian right behind. 

"Hey Tala?" Spencer asked, "How long do you think this tournament is going to last? I'm sick of playing the kiddies."

Tala turned his head as they rounded the corner to walk down the path to their hotel, with an answer in mind.

Ian was staring ahead of him,

"Look out," he said suddenly.

Tala hit something hard and staggered backwards, rubbing his face slightly.

"Told you to look out," Ian shrugged. Tala glared and turned around. 

He'd run into a girl his age. The entire group of kids were all about the same age as the Demolition Boys. A scary looking girl with gloves, tattoo and boots was asking this girl if she was all right. Beside the tattoo girl was another girl wearing a jean skirt and two hemp bracelets. The way she held herself seemed to suggest she was the leader. Like Kai, there was a boy standing behind the three girls with black hair, hazel eyes and a noticeable earring in his left ear. The girl he'd run into rubbed her head briefly and looked up. She had brown eyes and curly black hair. It suddenly hit him: these were those kids he'd seen at the beyblading store. The girl with the tattoos seemed to recognize them as well,

"Hey, you're those boys that pushed me out of the way at the store."

"And you're that stubborn cow that never said thank you," Bryan raised an eyebrow.

"You're beybladers?" Tala asked curtly, getting to the point and waving aside their immediate rudeness.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" The hemp bracelet girl waved at their shy friend.

"For what? We bumped into each other at the same time. Who's to say she didn't bump into me?"

"It would be the polite thing to do," she crossed her arms annoyingly.

"I'm sorry; I don't think we've met," Tala brushed her aside briefly.

"Who died and gave you the crown of the world?" the boy behind them suddenly spoke up.

His girl friends seemed surprised that he actually spoke and Tala smirked knowingly,

"Is he the captain of this team?"

"No. What makes you think that?" The girl with the hemp bracelet asked.

"He reminds me of a 'friend'…"

"I haven't died, you know…" the boy's eyes narrowed, "You can tell that to my face."

"I never repeat anything," Tala turned, "Too bad you missed it the first time."

"Well, I'm the captain. And I would shudder to think I might have befriended you in a past life…" The hemp bracelet girl gave a disgusting look his direction.

Tala smiled curtly,

"Charmed. And I'm the captain of this team."

"So we noticed," the tattooed girl spoke.

"You never answered my original question. Are you beybladers?" Tala asked again.

"We are," the blonde finally spoke for the first time.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had a voice at all," Ian shifted his weight to one foot. 

She ignored his comment and introduced her team,

"We're the Superiors. This is Brittany," she nodded to the tattooed girl next to her, "That's Will, and this is Renlee, our team captain," she noted the girl with the hemp bracelets, "My name is Annelise and behind you is our fifth member, Tehran. Tehran is eighteen…"

Tala turned around and noted another boy with wild blonde hair and blue eyes glaring at their group and standing next to a Mazda. 

"Impressive," Spencer stepped forward to also show his weight and height, "We'll be seeing you around, then."

"You never introduced yourselves," Brittany especially glared at Bryan.

"You'll find out in good time," Bryan answered, knowing she was most likely directing her question at him.

"A team name then," Tehran demanded.

"We're called the Demolition Boys," Ian smirked, "Round here, we're famous. You ask around."

"See you later," Spencer pushed Will aside and made his way down the path. Bryan and Ian followed. Renlee was watching Tala with much contempt. He glared in her direction before following. As he walked past the last member of their group, Annelise, she stared up at him. 

He glared back and her head jerked back surprisingly.

"I didn't say anything," he could hear her say to her friends.

"You were staring Annelise…"

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"Hello?!" Tyson yelled, knocking loudly on the door.

"Shhh!" Kevin hissed.

Gary grabbed Tyson by the shoulders and lifted him up so that Lee could get through.

"Oh yeah…whoops."

"Whoops is right," Hilary muttered next to him, "She's probably still in there and you're probably going to ruin this entire thing."

Tyson stuck his tongue out annoyingly and crossed his arms.

Lee lifted the card and stuck his head through,

"Hello?" he yelled. For a few minutes, complete silence filled the rest of the apartment,

"Mariah?" He called again.

He turned around to look at them,

"I'm just going to go in for a few minutes and make sure she's not asleep or anything."

"We'll wait here," Gary nodded.

Lee first checked the bathroom. Then he looked in both bedrooms, closets, living room, and walked into the kitchen last. He could see a yellow slip on the refrigerator with Mariah's neat handwriting,

__

Mobekai came over. Made up. Out. Be Back.

"Short and simple," he shook his head and called,

"Come on in; she's gone!"

"Whew!" Dizzi commentated from her laptop, "Something stinks in here."

"If you don't like it, you can clean it up yourself," Lee grunted, looking into Mariah's bedroom, "The maids _were_ here, but it looks like Mariah's been home."

The covers from one of the beds was completely done, with the mattress almost completely on the floor. The phone was hanging from the side table, with the cords tangled in the bed sheets and the receiver was off the hook. Her suitcase was open and the second side table was filled with a bunch of her junk. 

"Having her gone will make this much easier," Lee shook his head.

"What do we do first?" Ray asked.

"Clean-up," Lee stuck a broom in his hand.

"How come you boys never bothered to clean up _before_ we got here? I mean, this is _your_ hotel room…" Dizzi went on from Kenny's laptop.

"Kenny?!" Lee asked angrily.

Kenny blushed embarrassedly and shut Dizzi down,

"Sorry. She's usually not that mean; I don't know what's come over her."

"This really shouldn't take any time," Max was dialing some numbers on the phone, "And the Wild Cheetahs are supposed to be over in half an hour."

"What time do you think Mariah'll be in?" Hilary asked, dusting the lampshades. Tyson grabbed the duster from her and pushed her into the kitchen,

"Go cook something until the other girls get here."

Hilary glared,

"I don't like being told what to do," she turned back to Lee, "Do you think we'll be done by the time she gets back?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on Mobekai being with her. We'll have to just surprise them both."

"Mobekai already knows," a voice called from the doorway, "Don't worry; he'll keep her out long enough." Danika replaced the doorstop and opened the door long enough for Kira to grab it behind her.

"We figured out they must've made up when he didn't show up for another hour," Kira shrugged, "I lost ten dollars."

"You bet on your teammate?" Max looked a little skeptical.

"Oh yeah! He does it to us all the time; why not?" Colby closed the door when she came in behind Kira, grinning.

"Phew!" Danika plugged her nose and closed the laundry room, "I should've brought some Febreeze. Don't know how Mariah can stand it…"

"Good, you're here," Lee ignored her comment, "You guys can start by cooking."

Danika looked back at Kira and Colby, who were scanning the room with raised eyebrows,

"Suppose it sounds better than cleaning."

"And what exactly are _you_ going to be doing while we do all…this?" Colby asked Lee as she flipped the lights on in the kitchen.

"Supervising," he smiled.

"Like heck," she slapped a large bowl in his hands, "Start stirring some batter, boy."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Mazda already had the air conditioning running, so Annelise pulled a jacket around her shoulders and opened her laptop. She was sitting to the right of Renlee. Brittany had declared the front seat so she could easily pop CD's in and out of the stereo. 

****

Maybe I'd be better on my own,

No one ever seems to understand me, 

It's easier for me to be alone_._

****

But there's still a piece of me that feels so empty.

I've been all over the world.

I've seen a million different places,

But through the crowds and all the faces,

I'm still out there looking for you.

Annelise pulled up the BBA site and clicked on "TEAM A" first. There was a long list of those that had entered the tournament. If the team was disqualified, links were no longer available and a small parenthetical expression beside the team name said "Disqualified".

__ ****

Where are you now?

I'm trying to get by with never knowing at all,

What is the chance of finding you out there?

Or do I have to wait forever?

Annelise did a search for the name "Tala", but the search engine said,

"I'm sorry. Your request for the name "Tala" has resulted in 0 search results."

__ ****

I write about the things I'll never know

And I can't find a moment just to slow down

It makes me think I'll never have the chance 

To figure out what it's all about

So tell me what it's all about

Annelise sighed and this time searched for the name "Tala Valkov". This time there was only one search result for "The Demolition Boys."

__

"We're called the Demolition Boys. Round here, we're famous. You ask around." Suddenly came to her mind. It couldn't be…she thought furiously.

__

"I never repeat anything…Too bad you missed it the first time."

"You were staring Annelise."

She clicked on "The Demolition Boys" and four highlighted names popped up:

Spencer---

Ian---

Bryan---

Tala---

Tala Valkov. Her stomach dropped violently,

"I think I know who the Demolition Boys are," she said quietly.

Renlee leaned over her shoulder interestedly,

"Spencer, Ian, Bryan and Tala. Click on their names! I want to see which face belongs to whom."

Annelise clicked on Tala's name first.

__ ****

Where are you now?

I'm trying to get by with never knowing at all,

What is the chance of finding you out there?

Or do I have to wait forever?

Annelise really didn't need to look at the picture to know what he looked like. It had to have been. No wonder she thought he looked so intriguingly familiar. But she looked anyway and her stomach dropped about two inches. It had been the boy with the red hair and blue eyes. The one with the attitude.

Name: Tala Valkov

Age: 16

Experience: Very Skilled.

Bit-Beast: Wolborg

Animal: Wolf

Previous Achievements: Runner up in the Russian Based World Champions

She'd been training at that time with her new team, the Superiors. She didn't bother to look at the rest of the information. She felt sick.

"Soo…." Renlee grinned, "Mr. Valkov is the smart-mouthed leader of the Demolition Boys. Kay, go back and check out the others!"

Annelise looked back at his face sadly before exiting out of that window,

__ ****

Where are you now? I'm trying to get by with never ever knowing at all…and I still don't know,

What is the chance of finding you out there?

Or do I have to wait

Or do I have to wait

Or do I have to wait forever?

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****

Final Note: Well, I'm going to have to end it there because of length. I'll have the next one up next Saturday, like I usually do. I'm not sure if many people will see this because technically, I 'm not updating since I already had a chapter 21. Maybe you will. You'll see it by next week s'far as I can tell. Bye!

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Holy CRAP! That's a LOT of reviews! _Excuse me_: crap is NOT holy:

Drigger5: You've got quite a selection of favorite stories that I most enjoyed looking at! And thanks for reviewing! Of course it'll end in Ray/Mariah. Do you honestly think I'd say R/M and then say "Oh, no, I changed my mind. It'll end in Mobekai/Mariah"? Actually, I guess you might see that coming from me. Well, don't worry cause it won't. (; I love Ray/Mariah.

Kai-Hanmyo: *throws hands up* I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me! I have a family, I have friends and money! *eye twitches* Yes, _money…_But don't you dare sue me! Here's the next chapter!

Bimbo-blonde(): Aww, I know what you mean with feeling too lazy to sign in! You think like me! I love romance dramas-^sigh^. Renlee belongs to a team called "The Superiors". And each pairing will get it's moments-I'll especially like doing Kai, Johnny and Tala's romantic scenes.

Kawaii-Lovey: Hyper enough? (laughs) Hate/Love fics are what I live for-especially in Harry Potter with Lily/James. I'm like, an expert. Hehehe (wicked sloppy grin)~~~~Hilary/Tyson 2gether4eva.

HikArI-T3nShi: Yes, Hikari-chan? Do you have something you would like to share with the rest of us? (grins) She IS the best! Mariah rules! And I totally agree with you about the hair thing! Her eyes are VERY wide…very creepy….there are no pupils. Like she's a mutant or something.

Galux Kitty: Is the "conveniently placed cliff" high? Good, it better be. Better yet, she should be thrown from an airplane without a parachute and shot several times as she is going down. Maybe that's a little too gruesome…

"_Ray?…thanks…for helping me." _GAG! GAG! GAG! GAG! She is SO pathetic! I had to fight every urge to just start throwing things at my T.V this morning. Sorry, I guess it is my turn to reply to you. _Another_ thing to add to my "to-do list". Lee is pretty hot, huh? With his tough boy, SO entirely masculine features and attitude…(trails off, swaying back and forth weirdly) You're not the only one, believe me. It's weird: I started falling in love with him once I started writing his point of views. I could get inside his head, like a ghost or something, and understand why he is the way he is. Like art. (sighs again)

Beybladingrl: Oh no! Don't die, please don't! I don't have insurance, or liability, or any of that other legal junk! Yep, sometimes they do take me a long time to write, depending on my mood, but you'd be surprised. I can type really fast, thanks to my dad, and even if I finish, I usually post every week (Saturday) for moderation. That way I don't go insane with homework and everything. Uh, which story should I read? You have a lot J .

Cheril X: Hehehe…hunky Hiwatari. Awwwww….does she really? That's so sweet! *-*

Why in tarnation do you have a meow mix box laying around? Throw it away! Throw it away! Or soon Ray'll become addicted to those like Max is to his sugar-highs. O_o. That's so not good…Oh, yeah, and to answer your question: Kinomiya is Tyson's last name in Japanese and Granger is the English translation. 

kaz: Yeah, at first I thought it was the "Sanct Shields", like sanctify and everything, but I've been looking around and I just heard wrong. Sorry about all the OC's-I'm like lost in "lala" land over here! I won't introduce any more, seriously-that's all there is! (; And if you get REALLY confused, which I sometimes do, I have both teams information (bit-beast and everything) on my bio.

Ice Archer Girl: All right, this is how I feel and that is how you feel and I'll respect your opinions if you respect mine:

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I never said that I hated the Saint Shields! I said I hated _Miriam and Salima_. And Salima and Miriam, _alone_, are pretty awesome characters, I have to admit that. They both have some good morals and character traits. 

And I have to admit that I'm starting to like Miriam a lot more. I wouldn't have her in this story if I didn't think she was worth putting in. She just kind of seemed like an Enrique at first, you know? With her flirting with Max and everything.

But when Salima and Ray get together, I feel like he's betraying Mariah. It feels like someone flirting with YOUR boyfriend-you just want to slap her across the face and push her off the steepest cliff you can find.

And I understand that Hilary _is_ annoying at some times, but she's not flirting with anyone you love in particular, she's not breaking up your favorite pairing, and she's not turning the very few stories out there about your favorite couple into dust. 

As for Kai, that episodes not supposed to come on till next Saturday, but I imagine he's just emotionally traumatized by what happened with Wyatt, because he feels it was his sole responsibility. It's not like he's in love with him or anything.

If I upset you/have upset you in the past b/c of something I said, I am SO sorry! :{ 


	22. Reconciliation

****

FINALLY! I'd apologize a gazillion times if I could remember how to by the time I got to that number. Together, this chapter would've made 30 pages. Can you see the reasoning for a time delay?

Cool Quote: 

"In order to be the best, we've got to have the best. And Missy's the poo…so take a big whiff."

-Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) in "_Bring it On_." 

****

A/N: Keleho! Menami Melemie kora Akili Ecretes! I got REALLY bored one day and made up my own language, Menamege. The above translation is "Hello! My name is Michelle or SecretQuill!" I've already compiled two pages of words, so if you want me to post a saying for you or you want to know something, just ask! I love making up the words, which, in a way, is kind of sad. This chapter was really long, so I split it into two chapters and just posted at once because I want to move on. All this was actually supposed to happen last chapter, so…my treat.

****

Disclaimer: The author has only seen half of Beyblade 2002 (VForce) and has not seen G Rev at all, so incorrect information or misspellings about characters that might appear in the context are innocently accidental. Zen Tai-Ken, Renlee Brown, Tehran Chang, Brittney Loveless, Annelise Parker, William (Will) Trenton, and David and Rochelle Llewellyn belong to me as well as any other additional character not associated with Beyblade. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish rightfully belong to me as well.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold letters are songs.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 22: Reconciliation

"Monsieur's Oliver," the waiter set one plate down in front of the French boy, "Sir Robert," he opened the steaming cover, "And, of course, Senior Johnny. I hope you enjoy your meals."

As soon as Oliver bit down on his steak, his face contorted into a very disgusting look. He nevertheless swallowed the chunk and looked up,

"You call this steak? More like dying fat."

"But Monsieur! It is ze' best we can offer! Please, if there is anything…"

"Can I just cook my own meal?"

The waiter's face lit up,

"Of course! Of course!"

"Hey pal, do mine too, will you?" Johnny asked, pushing his aside, "I don't even want to try this green stuff."

"And you, Sir Robert?" One of the waiters asked nervously.

"Well, I don't care one way or the other, but one of your porks sounds great right now, Oliver."

"One pork coming up!" Oliver made his way merrily into the kitchen, "Right, now this is what I live for!"

"I do feel so sorry for him," Robert remarked.

"Why?" Johnny asked, leaning back in his chair and lifting his feet against the table.

Robert pulled a face at his manners, but did not say anything,

"Well, you can't expect him to cook for everyone everywhere, though I must say, it would do this nation a lot more good." He pushed aside his meal.

Oliver came out with some vegetables, but instead of heading over to their table, he walked right out the restaurant doors.

Johnny looked over at Robert,

"What the he-?"

He got up immediately and started to follow Oliver out.

"Pleasant service, gentlemen," Robert commented to one of the baffled waiters, handing him a meager tip and following Johnny out. 

"Hey Oliver!" Johnny called.

Oliver turned surprisingly,

"Oh, hey Johnny!"

Oliver walked right up to a passing gentlemen and stopped him, holding up the delicious smelling platter,

"Sir, would you be so kind as to try this and tell me what you think?"

The man looked at him skeptically and Oliver clarified,

"I'm a certified cook and I own a chain of restaurants in France."

The man took a bite out of a spinach wrap and his face brightened considerably. He picked the whole thing up,

"Hey, kid, can I have the rest of this stuff?"

"Sure!" Oliver remarked, "Five dollars?"

The man handed him some change and another woman who had been watching them approached Oliver,

"Are you giving that food out for free?"

"Small charge," Oliver replied, "But since you've never heard of me, I'll give you a free sample. Try some of this carrot. It's one of my favorites."

She handed him some money after deciding she liked the carrots very much. Oliver turned to Johnny and Robert as more people asked for some food.

"And that, my boys, is how you give service…"

"Well, service boy, looks like you've got more customers and no more food. What are you planning to do?" Johnny raised an eyebrow at Oliver's pompous attitude.

"Go cook some more, of course. I'm sure this restaurant would like the customer attraction."

He turned back to the gathering group of people perusing through their wallets for money or asking each other for just a bite of the vegetable they had already paid and bought for. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Were you really mad at me?" Mobekai asked Mariah as they walked down the streets of Vienna.

The sun was setting and a clear maroon of red and purple stretched beautifully across the sky ahead. 

"I still am. Kind of," she added at the way his face looked, "I still feel cheated. But I guess I'm glad I know. When I face off against you and your team, I'll be on my guard." 

"I'm not upset that you're mad," he lied.

"No," she shook her head and pretended she hadn't noticed, "I don't think you are. But I wouldn't be shocked if you were."

"Do you think I'm being too…?" He tried to find the words.

"Too what?" She asked curiously.

"Clingy? Too kind to you?"

"Well, sometimes. But that's a good thing!" She exclaimed as he looked away, "Sometimes it just seems like you're trying too hard to please me."

"Sorry. I guess I'm just afraid," he wrapped an arm around her because he thought she might be cold. She noticed the irony but was too curious to make any sarcastic comments,

"Why would you be afraid?"

"Because…." Again he stopped and she pulled away from his grip so she could look into his eyes, "Because…I'm sometimes afraid you still like Ray more." 

Her eyes dropped to the ground a little too suddenly and they walked side by side for a couple of minutes in silence. Mariah kept her head turned away from him. Mobekai broke the silence a few minutes later,

"Mariah, I'm sorry for bringing that up. That was so dumb of me; I should've known better than to say any-"

She cut him off and feeling harsh, snapped, 

"Mobekai, I can't believe you're so insecure that even after a week of seeing me, you would still think that." She didn't feel convincing. 

Mobekai looked a little surprised,

"It's not true, though, is it Mariah?"

She continued to avoid his eyes and the more silent was, the more his heart started to pound angrily.

Mobekai took her face in his hands and turned her to look at him in the eyes. He looked quite serious,

"Is it true Mariah? Do you still like Ray?"

__

It was true, wasn't it? She thought.

Every time she talked to Mobekai she had to catch herself because she was afraid she would call him Ray. And she enjoyed being around Mobekai in front of Ray. _Am I using Mobekai to make Ray jealous? Am I really being that heartless to Mobekai? After all he's done desperately to get me to like him?_ And then there was also the thought that Ray wasn't even noticing. That he didn't care. And then when Mobekai figured out, she would have no one and nobody.

Her eyes danced wildly as she looked into his deep blue eyes and she looked past him to where a Bengal Tiger was being paraded on a leash down the street. She pushed his hands down from her face and entwined his hands in her own as if to reassure him,

"Do you want to go see that Tiger, Mobekai? Doesn't it remind you of home?"

She pulled on his hand as they crossed the street. His stomach sank. _How come you're avoiding me, Mariah? It is true, isn't it? Even after a week. It doesn't take much effort to accuse me of being wrong, though, huh? What was so special about Ray anyway? He _hated_ him!_

*Flashback*

"I'm going to the post office because I need to mail some things to Wales. That's where Team A's going tomorrow. It's supposed to go to Boris." Trish explained to Mobekai. 

He was the only one sitting in the kitchen at the time. Danika was somewhere in the back and the others were still at the dance academy. 

She set a stuffy looking manilla envelope onto the kitchen counter. She looked around and then sighed before heading into the living room, where she began to stuff up pillows and look under all the tapestries.

Mobekai had been fingering something in the pocket of his jacket and asked,

"Are you looking for something?"

"I--think so; I can't find it."

__

It's supposed to go to Boris. Again, the overwhelming urge to get rid of this guilty burden nagged at Mobekai as he fingered the unfamiliar beyblade in his pocket. But it had been his idea to grab the beyblade and he felt angry that the credit might fall to Trish for stealing it. But was the credit worth hanging onto something that could eventually be dangerous in his possession? With Mariah's birthday today, there was no doubt Ray would put two and two together when Mobekai gave Mariah her gift. If he gave her her gift. The thought of not making up with her for a while made him feel even sicker to his stomach.

"Can you help me, Mobekai? I'm looking for a small red slip of paper. I feel like I'm trying to look for a needle in haystack."

"Sure, Trish," he croaked. Nervously fingering the manilla envelope, he opened it quietly and slipped the beyblade to the very bottom, concealed by the rest of the contents. It made the envelope rustle. Trish stood up immediately and looked his way, quite worried. He looked up and looked down quickly,

"Have you thought to actually look in this envelope?"

He saw a red paper and pulled it out, waving it at her,

"Is that it?"

"Yes!" She rushed quickly into the kitchen and he slipped it in. She grabbed the envelope before he could close it.

"You didn't see what else was in there, did you?"

Mobekai stood up and dumped a glass of milk down the drain,

"No. Why?"

She closed the envelope and disappeared into the back,

"It's none of your business."

The doorbell rang. Mobekai watched her close the bedroom door and then also moved to seclude himself to his own room. Danika pushed past him,

"Thanks for getting the door, Mobekai," she remarked sarcastically.

He closed his bedroom door and fell on his bed. _Trish would deliver it safely to Tai-Ken. It was no longer his concern._

"Trish! It's for you!" Danika called.

*End Flashback*

"Mobekai?" Mariah asked, turning around, "Aren't there Tigers in India?"

"Yes, Mariah. There are lots of them," he said quite sadly, looking her in the eye. 

"What's wrong?"

"You never answered my question."

A bunch of loud shouts came from the park they were passing and Mariah began to wring her hands,

"I'm not perfect, Mobekai. And,…yes, I think I am still attached to Ray."

He looked away, trying to loosen the overwhelming tightness of his throat.

"But I'm trying, Mobekai. I really am," she took his hand in hers and squeezed reassuringly, "I do like you. Isn't that what relationships are for? To get to know each other better? For only two weeks of knowing each other, I think we've gone farther than I would have imagined. You've passed Ray there. I've known him my whole life."

Mobekai turned and took her other hand in his own,

"I'll stop being clingy to you if you like the space more, Mariah. I guess I shouldn't force you to love me."

"That sounds good," she kissed him quickly on the lips, but he kissed her back immediately with more passion. She remembered the only other time he'd done this. It was in the garden in Switzerland. She was sure he couldn't have made it better. Yet, somehow, he did. His kiss made her feel loved.

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Kai looked around at the small shop, where only a few plaques hung on the wall, boasting of city, region and national awards.

"Can I help you sir?" The teller smiled kindly at him. Kai turned and his eyes widened slightly,

"I'm looking for information on someone that used to live in Balkov Abbey in Moscow, 

Russia."

"Name?"

"Trish--er, just Trish."

"Year?"

Kai paused for a minute to think,

"Try 8 years ago."

"Nationality?"

"Russian, of course."

"There are no records."

"Try 10 years ago then."

"There are no records for 'Trish' for about 20 years."

"What's the last recorded entry for a Trish?"

"Trish DeVonn. She was Czech."

"Can you do physical descriptions?"

"I could. It will take a while, though."

Kai looked up at the clock. The second-hand was almost to the twelve. _"You better be there at six, Kai!" "Yeah, you can't very well walk in when they do!" "I'll be there, I swear."_

"That's okay; I'll go ahead and come back later, then."

He walked out of the store and took out his headphones to drown out the sound of every other noise around him. Except for a few.

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*Flashback*

__

"Tala, will you please stop swinging so I can talk to you?" She placed her hands on her hips and leaned on one foot, trying to look quite serious. The wind suddenly blew hard against her back and her hair flipped forward, enveloping her face. Her hands flew up as she tried to wrap large strands of her already muddy looking blonde hair behind her ear. 

Tala laughed and dug his feet into the ground the next time the tire swing gravitated down. 

"Oh, Lise, what's wrong?"

She spit out the remaining cluster of hair clinging to her cheek and said as angry as she could manage,

"You've been hanging around that Rachel more than you've been hanging out around me!"

"Of course! Rachel's smart! I can rip homework off her!"

"That's cheating! And I can be just as smart as Rachel! So stop hanging out around her!"

"It's not a competition, Lise. Why would you want to try and be smart? That's not cool."

"Yes, but it will come in handy one day!"

"When?" he questioned a little curiously.

"When I'm older, that's when! I'll be smart! I can be smart!"

"Sure Lise," he smothered more dirt in her hair, "After we've stopped climbing fences, digging holes and hiding in trees, then we'll stick on Grandma T's glasses and read 400 page books."

She smiled slightly.

*End Flashback*

__

Lise…

Tala was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. There was something nagging him and he couldn't figure out what it was that was starting to concern him so much. It seemed like the very thought of something was devouring every other thought in his mind. And he wouldn't do anything else until he could figure out who or what it was.

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Trish was walking down the streets of Austria. Mostly, everyone had the characteristics of Austrian born men and women: big forehead, small nose and medium mouth. Except for a few here and there that noticeably stood out at tourists. Then there were the weird people: like the girl that was wearing the shark outfit, the boy who kept losing his much too large shoes, the blue haired tattoed boy sulking in the corner while he listened to a walkman, the--wait a minute. Her head stretched and as soon as two men in trenchcoats began to walk again, she could see a clear view of him.

__

Kai? She thought, _Where are the others?_

She began to push more roughly through the crowd and ran across the street without bothering to look both ways. A car slammed on it's brakes right in front of her and she jumped out of the way.

"Watch where you're going, you stupid Russian!" The man yelled. 

She gave him a very choice finger in response. She started walking at a very fast pace, still keeping a mild distance between them. His head was bent low and he walked very casually, very suavely, his hands resting in his pockets as if he was thinking. She could see the outline of the shoulder blades in his back and the lower hem of his shirt rippled each time he took a step. She thought it was quite fascinating for a while until she realized who she was watching. She shook her head and tried to pretend it had never happened. 

"There's the post office…" she stopped to look at the store that had snuck up across the way. Then she looked down at the package in her hands and back at Kai. He was too far ahead for her to continue. And she could see him turning the corner…heading to the White Tiger hotel. 

"Arrggh!" She growled angrily, before trying to cross the street again. When she opened the door, a blast of warm, inviting wind greeted her.

"Special Delivery please," she told the bored post worker, "But I don't want it shipped out for two days. En route to Wales."

"$15.00. Your name?"

"Trish."

"Last name?"

She thought for a minute,

"Granger. Trish Granger."

"Here's your receipt. You can change your order anytime between now and then. Thanks for doing business with us."

She rubbed her hands together and pushed open the door. The sun was barely visible across the horizon and the sky now looked dark blue to purple, but a small patch of red was visible through the buildings ahead.

"It's beautiful, huh?" Someone asked her.

"Yeah, it is," she stuffed the change in her pocket and then frowned, realizing her stupidity. She spun around before reacting with shock.

Kai was leaning against the nearest shop, headphones off, but nevertheless, still looking quite confident. He looked like he'd been expecting her for a while.

"But I thought--" she turned back to the corner where she thought she'd seen him disappear and then looked back at him, "What are you doing here?"

"Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I was mailing something. But--But I just saw you--" she turned and pointed at the corner, then dropped her hand as if she felt stupid, "Never mind. So, what are you doing here?"

"Technically, I was on my way to meet my teammates; but I saw you here and figured I would just walk with you there," he raised an eyebrow.

"You're such a liar."

"Really?" He sat up straight, "Am I deaf too?"

"Sometimes."

"I would have to disagree with you there."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I can still hear car horns with headphones on, you know. And I can still see fingers."

Now it was Trish's turn to raise an eyebrow,

"Why didn't you stop and say something?"

"Why didn't you? You certainly took the liberty of following me for quite some time without saying hello. Why?"

She felt quite embarrassed that he had caught her doing this and quite incapable of knowing that she'd never be able to surprise him.

"It's none of your business."

"_Oh!_" he faked astonishment as they began walking down the sidewalk, "Kind of like the whole Balkov Abbey thing being none of my business. I was directly involved and yet, it didn't concern me in the least? Come on, Trish; I'm not stupid."

"Good. That would be a tragedy."

Kai rolled his eyes,

"No wonder Boris kept you a secret."

"You don't know anything about my past, Hiwatari, so I would advise you not to talk about it so freely," she snapped. 

"I would know about it if you'd just _tell me_. What have you got to lose?"

"Everything."

"That's nice to know. Are you intending to blackmail me?" He stopped suddenly as if the thought had never occurred to him, "You don't still keep contact with Boris…or Voltaire, do you?"

She didn't answer for a few minutes and he shook his head angrily, walking forward purposely,

"I should've known better than to trust you."

"I never said anything."

"Your meaning was clear enough."

"I haven't been keeping contact with Boris or Voltaire. Boris kicked me out of the Abbey."

"Why? Because you stole Black Dranzer?"

"_No_," she snapped, "Boris used to depend on me, but now he's found someone else. A man by the name of Tai-Ken. He sponsors the rest of my teammates, the original Wild Cheetahs."

"What's your last name?" Kai demanded.

"Wow, that was a little out of left field."

"Just answer the question Trish."

"I don't have an answer for you because I don't know."

"You don't know your own last name?"

"I don't want you to know, okay!"

"Why not?"

"Because…Because I just don't, all right?!" Her voice raised slightly.

"Are you absolutely sure you're 17?"

"What is this, 20 questions?" she felt outrageously like a nail being hammered quickly into wood. 

"Before I started walking this way, I dropped into an information specialists center. Turns out there hasn't been a Trish at Balkov Abbey for 20 years. So, I see it this way: Either you lied about your name, you're really 20 something years old, or someone dropped your name from the records. You choose."

"I told you before: Boris kicked me out of the Abbey. He just erased my name."

"Hm," he said quickly, a little angry that he still couldn't figure her out, "Do you really expect me to believe your story?"

"Sure I do. Even though I'm sure you don't." 

He opened the door to the hotel lobby for her and she walked through first before turning around. It was a lot warmer inside.

"I do actually; believe your story, I mean."

She blinked once…twice…

"What?" She asked.

"_I believe your story_," he repeated slowly, "It's logical…for now. At least, until I can find more information to prove otherwise."

"All right. You do that."

He opened the stairwell door and waited for her to grab the door,

"Coming?" he asked.

"There _are_ elevators, dear," Trish pointed to the lovely encasement next to them.

"Use your legs. That's what they're there for."

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"Have you ever seen a more perfect looking cake?!" Danika cried, clapping her hands ecstatically, "Kiss the cook, baby!"

Colby coughed rather loudly,

"And kiss the cooks assistant," Danika added, "And hug _her_ assistant."

Kira raised an eyebrow,

"I'm so glad you think so highly of me."

"Oh, we love you Kira!" Danika patted her on the back.

Hilary wiped something off her cheek and poured the rest of the batter into the bowl,

"Well, the cookies'll be done by the time she gets here."

Lee pulled the oven down, before closing it again. He set the mitts down and started setting plates on the kitchen table.

"So, how are the potato's coming along?" Hilary asked him, "I should probably try and put this batter in the oven, so the faster the better."

"Erm…" Lee turned around and rubbed his hands, "We should probably just order out pizza. It would taste better anyway and-"

Colby ran the length of the kitchen and opened the oven. She grabbed some forks and pulled out what looked like round black rocks. Everyone in the kitchen looked glumly at the er-_potatoes_ and then back at Lee for an explanation. He shrugged as if it were nothing,

"I told you I couldn't cook. I must've left them in too long."

"That's an understatement," Danika plugged her nose.

"Better stick them outside," Colby handed them to Kira, "Or the burnt smell will stink the whole place up."

"Smells like Tyson's been cooking!" a voice called. Michael, followed by the remaining three All-Stars entered the room.

"I resent that!" Tyson stated quite firmly.

"It's not far from the truth," Hilary called from the kitchen.

"Shut-up!" Tyson called back.

"Mariah's going to love this so much!" Emily grinned, setting the punchbowl down, "I just know she'll love my present. I saw her coveting it at a store. Now, how are the decorations going? No Eddy! Don't set the presents so close to the fire where they'll burn. Let me help!"

Emily ran into the living room. Michael shook his head,

"Even when she's not in the stadium, she likes to boss people around."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Hilary defended her.

"How's it going, Kenny?" Max sat a jello salad down on the countertop. Kenny was busy at work cooking hot dogs over the stove. 

"Great!" He pulled one up by the fork and Dizzi, sitting open on the table sighed dreamily,

"Gosh, I wish boiling water didn't short-circuit computers. I can smell heaven over here."

"Okay, we just put the birthday poster up," Ray stuck his head over the divider,"…and everything else is clean."

The doorknob began to shake back and forth and rustling sounded outside the hotel door.

"She's here!" Kevin cried. Everyone ducked for the nearest hiding place. Kenny reached up quickly and turned off the stove and oven. The door opened slowly. Tyson reached up and turned the lights off. The door creaked open and two figures walked in.

"Did someone forget to tell me there was a funeral?" A sarcastic voice asked aloud.

"Turn the lights back on, Tyson." That demanding deep voice was only too familiar.

The lights flipped on and everybody jumped back up anyway,

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Trish and Kai stared back in shock, but with slight amusement.

Trish began to laugh and Kai hung his head as if he couldn't believe their stupidity.

"Oh shut up and get in here," Danika pushed them forward, before closing the door,

"Okay, that was a stupid false alarm. Let's get the rest of this cleaned up and chill out for a while until the real two people actually do get here."

"I hope you put as much effort into my birthday as you are into hers," Kira told Colby.

Colby grinned and half-hugged her,

"Of course!"

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"Hello?" Rochelle opened the door just a bit, "Is there anybody here?"

The Bladebreakers room was very empty…and very messy. A rat that had been chewing on a sweater squeaked and scampered away as she crossed the main room. She looked in all the rooms,

"Tyson? Kai?"

She came out and placed her hands on her hips,

"That's odd. Are they supposed to be away?"

She walked up to the kitchen where a post-it note was attached to the fridge. 

Hey Ms. Llewellyn-

Figured you'd come by. At White Tigers for this Evening for Party. Help yourself to some food and have a good night,

Hilary, and the Bladebreakers

"Bladebreakers" seemed added as an afterthought and she smiled. _Yep, the Bladebreakers probably had no idea she'd written the note. _She was glad Hilary was with them. It made her job so much easier with backup reinforcements.

****

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"I'm really hungry. Shouldn't we stop and get something to eat?" Mariah asked Mobekai.

Mobekai held the hotel door open for her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to warm her.

"Yep! That's why we're going over to your place for--"

"Mobekai. Nothing at my place interests me."

"I'll cook something for you. My treat. Besides, I still have to give you your birthday present."

"I thought you already gave it to me," she feigned surprise, trying her best to sound sappy.

"If you're talking about this, then you've been watching too many romance films,"

he leaned down and kissed her. She smiled hesitantly,

"No, you promised something better."

"Like this?" He leaned down and kissed her a little more firmly and passionately. She pulled away and licked her lips, "There you go again!"

"What?"

"You--" she wrapped an arm around his back and leaned on his shoulder, looking up into his face, "--are being way--" she reached up and kissed him on one cheek, "--too romantic."

"One of my many charms," he grinned down at her and guided her into the elevator.

"I'm not a baby," she stated firmly.

"I can tell," he laughed as they moved up in the encasement, wrapping both of his arms around her waist. She leaned back against his chest and sighed,

"I mean, I can do whatever I want without having to talk to you about it."

"I know."

"No! You're not supposed to know because I only just told you!" 

The elevator stopped and they stepped out, walking down the hall.

"All right, then, I don't know. Now how much space would you like, baby girl?"

"You're so impossible!" 

"That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Which do you prefer?"

They stopped outside the White Tigers team door. Mariah didn't answer, but reached up and flicked him on the nose. He caught her hand and began to tickle her underarm. She began to laugh; her hand came down instinctively, but he grinned and began to tickle her around the stomach. She curled up, laughing harder and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her around the stomach and pulled her forward into a hug. Her body shook once more with laughter and she reached up to wipe her teary eyes. He grinned and leaned his head on hers.

He held her for a few more seconds and she relaxed again in his grip.

"All right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said quietly.

She pulled the room key out and handed it to him. He slipped the key in and opened the door, waiting for her to enter first. It was extremely dark inside, which Mariah found odd because she didn't remember turning the lights out.

"Didn't I keep the lights on when we left?" She turned around to ask Mobekai.

"Yeah, I think you did." 

Mariah reached over and turned the main lights on.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIAH!"

She jumped in shock at the loud noise and gaped immediately. A large banner with the words "Happy 16th Birthday Mariah!" was draped across the entryway, signed by every person she knew. And past the entryway, in the living room, her team, the Wild Cheetahs, the All-Stars and the Bladebreakers stood, watching her anticipated reaction. 

"_Wow_…" she breathed first, "This is…for me? I can't believe you got together and…"

"Speechless?" Lee grinned at her expression.

"Yes! Well, no. Not anymore, no. Thanks! Thank you!" she couldn't stop showing her pearly whites even though she kept trying to tell herself to shut her mouth. 

"We figured after this morning…" Danika said a little shiftily, "And everything, you needed a little lift…"

"Not to mention all the free food!" Gary noted kindly, stuffing a twinkie in his mouth.

"Yes, where is all that food? Oh, yes! In the kitchen! To the kitchen we go!" Tyson jumped up and dashed off into the kitchen, "Hot dogs and hamburgers and…"

Hilary rolled her eyes and hugged Mariah kindly before following him into the kitchen to make sure all the food wasn't eaten within the next twenty minutes.

Emily jumped up and handed her a package, whispering,

"Between you and me: it's that other perfume you didn't buy in France. I went back and got it after you left."

"Really?" Mariah grinned and hugged her, "Thanks Emily!"

"The rest of us got you some stuff too. They're over there in the corner, so you can open them later," Danika showed her a small pile of hand-wrapped boxes in the corner.

"Thanks!" she smiled gratefully. Everyone was gradually dispersing into their own groups. She sank into one of the couches and Mobekai sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her back and unconsciously rubbing her shoulder.

"So, did you know too?" She asked curiously.

"Yep," he nodded.

"So, was this the surprise you wanted to show me?"

"No, actually, I'll give that to you later when there's not so many people around."

"Something else?!" She asked incredulously.

"Yep. Because you're my girlfriend. And second, you're just plain special."

She blushed and hugged him,

"Thanks."

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****

Final Note: Now that I think about it, the birthday thing sounds really cheesy. Oh well. Sometimes people go all out for a good friend. And BTW, the first scene is coincidental with when Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys ran into the Superiors at the end of the last chapter. In case you never figured it out. Here's one more saying in Menamege for your enjoyment:

"Aryl nada Ryami tero kokorevo!"

"Ray and Mariah Together Forever!"

BTW, Johnny is Honui (pronounced: haw-new-ee) and Tala is Latao.

Review Feedback for Chapter 21 can be found in Chapter 23. Thanks!


	23. Caught in the Act

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Cool Quote: 

"I shall call him squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy!"

-Dory from _Finding Nemo_

****

A/N: Ahaha! I LOVE that line! Dory rocks ~ she's my favorite! I think it's a little safe to say my characters are maturing. Either that or I'm just detracting from their original personality (not from the show, heck no-I clarified that in the beginning; I'm talking about how they were in the first ten chapters. They're acting differently, neh?) Well, you choose anyway.

****

Disclaimer: The author has only seen half of Beyblade 2002 (VForce) and has not seen G Rev at all, so incorrect information or misspellings about characters that might appear in the context are innocently accidental. Zen Tai-Ken, Renlee Brown, Tehran Chang, Brittney Loveless, Annelise Parker, William (Will) Trenton, and David and Rochelle Llewellyn belong to me as well as any other additional character not associated with Beyblade. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish rightfully belong to me as well.

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

Bold letters are songs.

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 23: Caught in the Act

Tala had taken off the ring on his left finger and was twirling it around absently in his hand. It was a very…interesting ring. He was sure he'd gotten it from his deceased grandfather, but he also thought he'd gotten it in a pawn shop. Either way, he thought it was really pretty. 

Bryan was sitting at the desk, flipping through some magazines, and Spencer was sleeping on the other bed. Ian was flipping through the cable channels in the connecting room. 

The ring, he'd found out, was made of Amethyst, a common, but valuable gemstone, known for it's deep purple color among royalty and majesty. He let his hand drop tiredly on top of his muscular chest and he closed his eyes.

__

"Tala?"

"Umhm?" He asked groggily.

__

"Tala? It's me."

"Who?"

__

"Don't you remember? You promised not to forget me. Don't you still have my ring?"

"_Your_ ring?" He asked.

__

"I gave it to you, Tal. Don't you remember your Lise?"

"No, no I don't. Who are you, Lise, is it?"

__

"Your best friend and your companion! What's happened to you? Where did you put your nice personality? I need my friend! Remember, Tala, please remember!"

"REMEMBER WHAT?!" Tala asked frustratedly.

"HEY!"

Tala opened his eyes and turned his head to where Bryan was leaning back in the chair looking annoyed,

"Stop talking to yourself."

"Was I?" Tala looked confused, "I was talking aloud?"

"_YES. _Duh. Tal, Sometimes I swear your head is screwed on too tight."

Tala stared into space suddenly.

__

Tal. Annelise used to call him that, he suddenly remembered.

Annelise? Yes, Annelise…Annelise. She had magnificent blue eyes and delicate curly blonde hair that he was afraid he would break. He'd spent most of his childhood with her. At such a young age, he didn't think he knew what love was, but he remembered thinking every day that she was very beautiful. And Lise and he grew up and they had separated and she'd given him that Amethyst ring to remember her by. It was pretty, like her.

Like Annelise. Lise. Annelise Parker. The name of the girl he'd just seen outside the hotel. The one that had been staring. 

Tala's eyes widened suddenly as more memories of the girl he once knew came rushing back into his memory. It was like seeing her had joggled all of those suppressed memories.

But the important thing was, he remembered.

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"Let's see; what would everyone like next?" Hilary walked in and set the empty plate down.

"Are you _still_ playing maid, Hilary? Look, if they want food, they'll come get it. And if they don't, then they're being lazy bums," Tyson looked around at the table choosily, "Hey, do you want to get me some water?"

"Boy, that sounds like no one that I know," Hilary muttered sarcastically, opening the fridge.

"What the _heck_ is this?" Tyson asked curiously. She spun around, leaving the fridge wide open.

"Tyson! That's the last pig in a blanket!" Hilary rushed forward to get her hands on the platter.

Tyson laughed and picked it up jokingly, throwing it just out of her reach,

"Gosh, what a funny looking pig. Didn't know they made this color of a blanket? Wonder where I can get one…"

"It's not funny! That's what they call it because it looks like a pig wrapped in a blanket…"

"Gee, I would have never guessed," he brought it up close to his mouth and she gaped impatiently. He grinned and sniffed it. She sighed and tried to reach forward again. He jumped aside and she tripped on the chair and landed on the ground.

"Smells more like a corn dog if you ask me…"

"Well, that's why the inventor didn't ask you…he would have been insulted," She jumped up and tried to grab it from him, but he only maneuvered away.

"What's your problem?" He leaned against the wall and looked at the corn dog, "Someone's eventually going to eat it. Why not me?"

She grabbed his hand, trying to pry the corn dog in a blanket from his palm. He laughed as she clawed his knuckles. He lifted his hands above his head and switched hands. She jumped up and down in front of his face, 

"TYSON! It's not funny!"

"Yes it is," he said quite coolly.

"You've already eaten HALF the platter!" 

"Unless, of course, _you_ wanted to eat it yourself…" He thought aloud, still trying to answer his question.

"So what?! I still want it!" She jumped up one last time and didn't bother to land on the floor. She pushed him down onto the floor. He turned around and hid his fists underneath his stomach. She wrapped her hands persistently around his stomach and tried to grab pieces of it from underneath his palm,

"You'll squash it!" She gaped, "How hard are your fists clenched?"

"You're squashing me!" He complained back, crouched in the corner between the wall and the counter. 

"Good!" 

"Stop! Stop! I'll give it to you, kay?" He said finally. She slowly let go of his hands and backed off. He turned around and got up, brushing himself off. Then he leaped for the fridge. Hilary was quick. She grabbed his pant leg and brought him down with a *thud* onto the kitchen floor.

"TAKAO KINOMIYA!"

He laughed quite abruptly,

"Speaking blunt Japanese? I didn't know you were that mad, Hiromi."

"It's HILARY, TYSON GRANGER! And you BETTER keep your word!"

"Just a moment, kay?"

He turned around and grabbed her hand, prying her away from his leg. He got up on one knee before Hilary tried lunging for him again. He pulled himself to his feet and jumped back one step. Hilary swiped air and cursed, before pulling herself up. Tyson grabbed something from the fridge, slammed it shut and turned around to find Hilary directly in front of his face.

Her palm was stretched out,

"Pig?" She demanded, "I'm hungry."

He grinned and dropped a bunch of ice cubes into her hand,

"There's your water."

She shrieked at the coldness and dumped the cubes on the floor, causing a few heads to lift up in the family room.

"All right?" Michael called.

"YES! Everything's peachy keen!" Tyson yelled merrily, trying to go out into the living room.

Hilary stepped forward to grab Tyson around the neck angrily, but she stepped on her own ice cubes. Her eyes widened in momentary shock. She reached forward and grabbed Tyson's shirt to pull him down with her. Her feet flipped forward and she landed hard on her back. Her eyes scrunched together in pain.

"Are you all right?" His voice resonated within her ears. It tickled a little bit. She thought at first that she had succeeded in pulling him down and that he was lying next to her. Then she realized that there was something heavy on her. She could feel breath on her neck. She opened her eyes slowly and the first thing she saw were his concerned blue eyes looking down at her. Then she noticed how extremely close they were. Her hand was still tightly gripping his shirt just above her own chest. She noticed that he had also seen their predicament as he looked a lot more serious than he had minutes ago. 

__

Think of something else, okay? Okay, thinking, searching for something…

"Heh…um,…hi." Tyson smiled embarrassingly.

"Erm…can you get off me?" Hilary asked, trying to sound as polite as she could manage.

"You haven't let go of my shirt yet," he pointed out.

"Oh!" She let go quickly and dropped her hand.

He didn't move though and she coughed.

"Just a moment, kay?" He asked.

"A moment for what?!" She asked incredulously.

"Gee, aren't you in a hurry?" He frowned.

"Well, duh!" She rolled her eyes as if the thought that they weren't in a very comfortable position hadn't occurred to him.

He pulled himself up on one hand and fiddled in his pockets with his other. His left foot slid forward to her side and rested on the knee cap to distribute weight more evenly.

"_What_ are you looking for _now_, of all times?!" She asked, watching him.

He turned his head, so that he was again very close to her face and she tried to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks,

"Oh, stop your whining. I'll show you in a minute."

"Can't you wait and do that when we get up?"

He turned, grinning,

"Uncomfortable, eh?" 

She blushed,

"Oh, shut up."

"Open your mouth."

"What?!" She asked disbelievingly, suggesting the obvious.

"I'm not going to kiss you, Hilary," Tyson rolled his eyes.

She blushed, quite embarrassed at his blunt remark and came up with a lame excuse,

"I never said that! I just don't like the idea of opening my mouth what with everything else you've done this evening! I'm afraid you'll stick worms down my throat or something."

Tyson sighed and rested his hand on his chin, thereby moving closer to her,

"Just open your mouth, Hilary. I swear I won't stick worms down your throat or anything else."

She opened her mouth slowly, a little curious as to what the heck he was doing. He took whatever it was he'd been searching for out of his pocket and stuck his hand into her mouth. At first, she couldn't believe that his hand was in her mouth until she tasted hot dogs. He'd put the pig in a blanket in her mouth!

"I told you it would only be a minute," he leaned back and grabbed her hand to pull her up, "And I always keep my word."

"Sometimes you do," she corrected, and then, chewing quietly on the pigs, "Thank you."

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Ray grabbed Mariah's hand and whispered into her ear,

"Can I steal you for a minute?"

Mobekai looked over disapprovingly. Ray shrugged as if suggesting the obvious. They were watching the rest of a card game being finished between Max and Emily. Both had already been disqualified and Ray found the calm moment the perfect opportunity to just give her the present. She blushed and got up quickly,

"Yeah. What's up?"

He pulled her off to the side hall and pulled out a small hand wrapped package which he handed to her,

"I just wanted to give you your present. I wanted you to open it while I was still here, cause I want to see your reaction. And I figured, what with Mobekai and all, I just better do it over here."

"Oh, that's nice."

She opened the box inside the paper and stared at the item inside. It was a silver-chained necklace with a carved red rose dangling from the bottom. The petals were separated by silver and in the middle of the rose was a single red ruby. 

She dumped it out of the box and just stared at it's sparkling reflection. Rubies were _extremely_ expensive…and Ray had gotten one for her just for her birthday? _Yep, this just about proves it. Fate really hates me._

Ray fiddled nervously at her quiet reaction,

"They last forever. Like friendship, you know? Look, I had actually planned on getting you something else, but something came up. I'll get it for you someday though, okay?"

"Oh, no! No, Ray! I love it! I just couldn't think of anything to say. Thank you. This is--really nice. I can't believe you got this for me…," she rubbed her hand once over the ruby. 

"Do you want me to--?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" She handed him the necklace and turned around, pulling her hair up.

He wrapped his hands around her head and then pulled back around her neck, pulling the clasps together at the nape of her neck. She could feel his hands against her neck and her back tingled every time he touched her skin. _Did she ever feel that way when Mobekai touched her? _

You won't ever be able to have him though, Mariah, so stop fooling yourself girl. Ray just doesn't see you that way.

"So, have you had a good day so far?" He asked in a concerned tone as she turned around and dropped her hair. 

"Yes, actually, it's gotten better."

"Did we surprise you?" he asked, grinning.

"I wouldn't have looked so remarkably like a guppie if I'd known otherwise."

"Nah, you were just speechless."

"And you could tell from behind 5 kids and a couch?"

"I was underneath the coffee table. If I turned my head three quarters to the left, I would avoid St. Mary's wind swept statue hair and I could see your face."

She laughed,

"Very cunning plan you had there."

"I know," he smirked, "I have another plan too."

"For what?" She asked, a little surprised.

"C'mere, I'll tell you," he had a wicked grin on his face.

"I don't like that look," she said slowly and backed away. He only shook his head once and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her toward him. He started tickling her under the arms,

"One…two…three…four…"

"You can't do that!" she grabbed his arms and tried to pull him away, but he only tickled her under her other arm as well. He laughed,

"Ten…eleven…twelve…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…sixteen!"

He let go and she smacked him lightly on the shoulder in response. 

"Good thing we walk in China. Can you only imagine having to face you on the road?" Ray laughed.

"I'll be a great driver! You haven't even tried."

"I will," he corrected her.

"What are you planning to do after this tournament, Ray?" Mariah asked.

"Just Beyblade some more, I suppose. Go wherever the rest of my team happens to go."

"Do you think you'd ever stop beyblading?"

"I'm not sure. I hadn't ever thought about that. Why? Are you planning to stop beyblading?" He looked extremely worried.

"Not for now, no," she shrugged, "It was just a thought."

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Trish saw Kai sulking in the corner, as usual, and she suddenly got very angry. She'd always liked being the loner, staying by herself in the corner and never talking to anyone. Ever since she'd met Kai, all she could see was competition. She was much more open to everyone than she thought she wanted to be and she blamed all of it on him. She wanted to get to know him because she thought he felt and acted the same way she did. Instead, she opened up and he kept closed. He was still the loner. And she had undergone miraculous changes. She stormed up to him and threw her cup in the bin beside him very forcefully. He raised an eyebrow but did not move at all. She continued to stare at him for a few minutes, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes.

"Something wrong?" he asked casually, leaning back a bit against the wall.

"Yes, I'll tell you what's wrong. _You_ are what's wrong. You and your whole attitude. It's quite annoying. For once, could you just, lighten up or something?"

He finally turned his head,

"And where did this come from?"

"I'm angry cause no one fears me anymore!"

"Why would you want that?"

"Because---because they don't bother you with stupid questions!"

"Hmm. And, ironically, you don't have an attitude?"

"I _did!_ I used to be a great sulker! And then you came along! Compared to you, I suddenly look like Ms. Sunshine! Ms. Come Talk To Me Whenever You Darn Well Feel Like It! Can't you please just take that position for a day?!"

He stared,

"Sorry."

She waited and he rolled his eyes and turned his head again,

"Anything else you want to throw at me?"

"Sorry? That's it? That's all you can say?"

"Look, I'm not the one with the spur of the moment anger casualty. If you want to sulk, sulk. I haven't done anything to your personality. Maybe it's just because you really are Ms. Sunshine and you never had anyone to compare yourself to," Kai's eyes narrowed briefly, angrily. His eyes turned a darker blue that she hadn't seen before and she was briefly a little shocked that she had managed to make him upset. 

"You know, you're a lot nicer when you open up to people," she pointed out.

"How would you know?! I haven't opened up to you! And I still can't figure out why all of sudden you're choosing to attack me for my personality! Why do you _care_ whether I'm nice or not?"

"Maybe because I'm choosing to care about you! That's why I'm mad! You make people so angry when they try and do something nice for you! But you're really nice! I've seen it! Why can't you open up?"

"For the same reason that you hate the fact that people think you're Ms. Sunshine. Why do I care what people think about me? I care only for myself. And if you're quite finished, I really just don't feel like talking anymore."

"That's right, Mr. Hiwatari! It's always about you, huh?"

"Trish, what's wrong?"

"I just said what was wrong!" She raised her voice, "And I thought you didn't want to talk anymore!"

He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders. Her eyes widened in surprise. He spoke quite calmly still,

"I haven't said anything to you since we got here--"

"Exactly!"

"And yet you are suddenly attacking me so strongly without any good reason!"

"I do have good reason! I just told you!"

"You never brought it up before!"

"I'm mad…I'm just mad at you, okay? Just for everything you've done!"

"Which would be?" He asked.

"Everything!"

"That's real specific, Trish. I can't change anything if you don't tell me."

"I can't tell you, all right? But everything changed when I met you! I was no longer an outcast, I'm questioning my beliefs and---"

"How are you so sure it's me that's doing this?"

"Because everything I do concerns you."

A dark shadow crept across his face,

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Her hands flew to her mouth as if she had let slip something important. He let go of her shoulder,

"Does this have something to do with why you were following me this afternoon? Do you work for someone that hates me Trish? Is someone using you to get to me?" He stopped and looked very closely into her eyes, "You're not lying, are you? Do you still work for Boris?"

She backed off quickly and turned around,

"Bye Hiwatari."

The truth was, Trish couldn't tell him that she was angry because Boris wanted her to lie to and hurt him and she was starting to doubt whether she could do that or not. She was upset because she really and truly wanted to be his friend, but she didn't know how to get him to open up. 

"Trish! You can't do that! You can't spur angry comments at me and then walk away! Trish!"

He tried to grab her wrist, but she shrunk away quickly. She walked up to Mariah, hugged her briefly and grabbed her bag. She opened the door angrily but shut it quietly. There must've been no need for her to slam it. 

__

ARRGH! Why did she have to be like that? Kai thought angrily. He'd been perfectly fine and she'd been perfectly fine until she'd started to throw daggers at him one by one.

She was the first person to leave that night.

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"Three Queens," Emily set three cards down.

"B.S. You're lying," Max chuckled immediately.

She gaped and turned the cards over. There were two queens and one king,

"How did you know I had a king?" She asked amazingly.

"Because I have two queens. And there are only four cards per deck."

"Ah!" Emily caught him suddenly, pointing a finger. Max shut his mouth embarrasingly and Emily continued tauntingly, "Oh, shouldn't have done that, Maxy-poo. Now I know how many queens you have."

"Two queens," Max set the cards down and Emily frowned. He laughed,

"Now you don't have any advantages, eh?"

"Oh, contraire," she set her last two cards down, "Three kings."

"B.S.," he said immediately.

"Nope!" she cried triumphantly, throwing the cards over.

"Shoot," he combined his cards with the deck, "Good job, Emily."

"Thanks," she leaned her back against the couch. Mobekai was sitting above and to the side of her. He also leaned back into the couch and sighed. He really wanted to get up and pull Mariah away from Ray, but he remembered that she wanted him to give him space. And the last thing he wanted was for her to be mad with him.

He just had to try and trust her. Trust her.

Oh, shoot. Who was he kidding? Trust Mariah around Ray? He restrained himself, however. He was being immature if he did otherwise. _I mean,_ _if she doesn't like me, she doesn't like me. She likes Ray. But he doesn't like her. And I can't get her out of my mind. Why can't she just wake up and smell reality?_

Mobekai didn't want her to be upset. He didn't want her to hurt. If she wanted to pretend Ray liked her, she could. She'd see it soon. She would.

"Hey!" He felt her familiar arms ruffle his hair and he looked up. She came around the couch and sat down next to him,

"Thanks."

Mariah smiled down at him as if she was somewhat pleased that he had left her alone; that he had trusted her. _See? This'll pay off eventually._

"What do you mean?" 

"You didn't come after me. I appreciate that."

"Oh," he suddenly noticed the very nice ruby necklace she wore around her neck, "Your welcome."

__

Ray must've given that to her. For her birthday? How can I compete? Mobekai suddenly felt shamed. His _present wasn't even something he'd come up with on his own. _

"So, who won?" Mariah rubbed his neck, which suddenly made every other thought he'd had about jealousy disappear.

"Emily. Max accused her wrong."

"That's a shame. For him, at least. Definitely not for her."

"Hey Mariah? Do you want your surprise now?" He turned his body to face her and took her hands in his own.

"Yes!" Her face lit up excitedly, "Gee, I was thinking you were never going to bring it up."

"Best for last," he winked, "Besides, I just wanted to wait till not everyone was watching. I'll be back, okay? I put it in one of the back rooms."

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Ray was pleased that Mariah had liked his gift. He was still a little upset that he hadn't been able to find the original gift he'd picked up for her. Max and Emily were talking at the table. He noticed that when Max talked, he would always hold both of his hands toward Emily on the floor as if to grab her hand. He hadn't seen Tyson for a while. He looked toward the hallway and noticed him and Chief talking quietly in the corner. Hilary had also curled up into a ball on one of the blow-up chairs, sleeping very soundly. Kira was turning so often she kept whacking him in the leg.

Then some other voices passed through his mind and he turned around.

Danika and Colby had been staring boredly into space and Michael began to laugh at them,

"So, how long do you think you can hold those pupils open?"

"For a very long time," Colby looked up, "I happen to be an expert."

"For staring off into space?" Lee asked, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"More than I can say for you. You're eyes are always so narrow I can't tell whether they're open or not," she retaliated.

"Staring contest!" Danika said excitedly.

"It must be the highlight of your life when you can announce staring contests with such excitement," Ray commented mildly, looking at them from over the couch back.

"Ray! Come join us!" Danika waved excitedly.

"No thanks. I know I'm no good. I'll just watch from here."

"Right, tell us who wins, okay?" Colby asked. 

They then proceeded to just stop talking and stare with wide eyes at each other, boy vs. girl. 

Danika stared at Lee first, but Lee was determined to outlast Colby, so she turned and stared at Michael. His wide red eyes were very alarming and very discouraging, but she kept her eye sockets open as if they were glued to her brow line. Her head began to hurt tremendously. 

Lee raised his eyebrows defiantly and even dared to lean back against the wall in a relaxed position. She decided to look for something on his face and just stare at it for a while. She chose to watch a small patch of yellow below the iris in his eye. It flickered up and down and then settled in on the side. She could feel the pressure mount on her eyelids and forced them to open a little wider than she kept them.

He grinned, keeping his eyes completely open. He didn't even appear to struggle with the concept,

"Uncomfortable?"

Her head burned with anger. _She was going to win this._ She answered by narrowing her eyes briefly.

Danika, whose eyes had been torn open like baseballs, closed her eyes quickly.

"Danika's out," Ray said quite calmly, "Sorry," he added.

She brushed her hand against her cheekbone,

"I'm sorry, Colby. I can't do it anymore."

Michael continued by staring at Colby as well. Colby turned to face him for a moment, resting on watching a strand of his hair. Lee still watched her from the side, but she could see that he was beginning to struggle. His eyes danced nervously and his fists were beginning to clench. Michael was even worse. His eyes were very wide like Danikas had been. 

She knew that if she stared at him any longer she was going to end up losing. She turned back to face Lee and more determination surged through her veins.

Lee was trying hard to act cool and calm, but he also felt like he was trying to hold the rest of his head with his eyes. That's how much it hurt. He, too, had decided to just stare at something on Colby's face. So he'd chosen to watch her eyes and saw, with pleasant delight that she was struggling not only to keep her eyes open, but to also look as calm and collected as she did.

"Michael's out," Ray commented again, leaning over the couch. Lee didn't dare look over, but not he knew he didn't have the advantage he'd had a minute ago over Colby.

"Colby vs. Lee," Ray laughed quietly, "Now this oughta be good…"

"Hurt, didn't it?" Lee could hear Michael ask Danika.

"Like Hades. I need eye drops so badly. I won't be able to walk well if I can't see straight."

Lee pursed his lips and his face became extremely taught with the effort it was now taking. His eyes would drop a few inches and then he'd force them to shoot back up again. Colby would smile triumphantly every time he did this, but he noticed that her eyes were turning redder and redder. Something wet formed around the brim of her eyelid and several flew down her cheek.

"You're struggling," he noted quietly.

"So are you," she pointed out quickly, reaching up to wipe the tears away without so much as flinching.

"Still so determined?" he laughed, crinkling his face, "How sad."

"Shut-up. I'll win this. I know it."

As he stopped laughing, he struggled to concentrate on keeping his eyes open. Colby's brown eyes looked so determined and proud. He decided to stare at the mole on her cheek. It was really pretty and round and pretty and round and…

His eyes suddenly went really cross-eyed and he tried to focus without closing his eyes. He tried lifting his eyes to watch her hair, but as he did so, he blinked once. And then he regretted ever moving.

"Lee's out," Ray commented, "Nice try, though."

Colby closed her eyes satisfactorily and lay back on the hotel floor, sighing.

Lee rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"Good job Colby," he congratulated kindly as she sat up.

"You too."

Ray turned away from their conversation and looked over once again at Mariah and Mobekai. She was opening a gift bag with his present in it. He leaned back against the couch pillows and watched with interest when she pulled out a purple shirt.

A light maroon blouse with an elastic chest band and extra long loose sleeves. She pulled it out fully and gaped, her expression one of shock mingled with ecstatic elation. Ray's had suddenly clenched the pillow beside him quite angrily. When Mariah finally dropped the blouse in her lap after running her hand throughout every fabric, Ray could make out three yellow flowers at the bottom. 

When he'd lost his blade, he never told the others he'd also lost his original birthday present for Mariah.

*Flashback*

__

"We have about--10 more minutes," Max looked at his watch. They were sitting on a bench in the L'Ocean Mall in Aix-En-Provence, France.

"That's not enough time to go looking for anything."

"Yeah, I know," he leaned back.

Ray looked in the shops across from them. A certain pink ribbon caught his attention in Roswell's and when the girl appeared around the rotating clothes rack, he knew that it was Mariah. 

"Hey, isn't that--?"

She was looking covetously at a maroon blouse and holding it, but her face fell when she _looked at the white tag attached. She set it aside and went to purchase her items. A woman walked over and looked at the blouse Mariah had been looking at quite interestedly. Like she was going to buy it. _

"Hey, can you excuse me for a minute?" Ray got up and stuffed his bags under the bench.

"Sure! Where are you going?"

"Just going to get a jacket."

He walked into the store and up to the woman,

"Excuse me, but I saw that first."

She laughed,

"And what are you planning on doing with it?"

"I'm going to buy it. What else would I do?"

"Ah! I see! It is for you girlfriend, neh?" She laughed and winked.

"Heh…" he smiled weakly, "Yeah. For a girlfriend."

"Here you go!" She pushed the blouse into his arms. He walked up to the register as soon as Mariah had left the store.

*End Flashback*

He'd kept it in his bag. He'd tried searching for it some more. He could see before why someone would steal his beyblade. But why would anyone want a purple blouse?

He knew now who had taken both. 

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****

Final Note: Sorry about all the gemstone references (ruby, amethyst) . We just finished learning about gemstones in Earth Science and I'm kind of addicted to them now. 

It's my birthday next Tuesday; I'll be 18 on the 18th of November. Cool, huh? That only happens once in your life. I expect lots of reviews! Again, thanks for all your support!

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Thanks very much to the following reviewers:

Lisa Oceans Potter: WOW! So many compliments for so little me! YEA! Patience is a virtue, one that I have a great deal of; the Ray/Mariah will come, it will! Like I said, I'm not even halfway through. I have SO much more to do-I was predicting 30 chapters from the start and now I'm thinking more like 50 since I've already reached 23, so just hang tight for a while. And you're the only one that mentioned the 'sequel' for this fic-YEA! AGAIN! That really made me happy! 

Cheril X: I DID! I DID UPDATE! Thanks for the compliments! Sometimes less noise from the peanut gallery (Ray: HEY! SQ: Oh, have you finally decided to show up again? Ray: I'm not responding to that.) is better. Wise words from someone otherwise not very wise.

Kai-Hanmyo: THIEF! Okay here's my Yoda talk (my friends thought this concept was hilarious): Yep, Ray/Mariah this story shall be. That's it. Hehe…Okay, here's the rest of the doo: I'll be doing more "romantic" scenes between Mariah/Mobekai, b/c their relationship so far hasn't been that great and they *do* like each other…but don't become too attached to the idea of them together. 

Ice Archer Girl: New Ideas! Those things just sneak up on you, huh? I think I've had like 20 different story ideas in the past week and sadly, I've jotted down none of them. But they'll all come back to me eventually. And don't worry about the whole boyfriend thing, cause I don't have one either~never have had one, which is why Mariah/Mobekai's relationship is a little pathetic since it's not supposed to be that romantic. It is the only one on your favorites-I checked! ;) And I like writing about Tala/Annelise, so you'll like that. I had actually thought about not putting Will in because that would've been too many OCs. But I need him in there for two reasons: 1) All my OC teams have one boy and the rest girls. I decided to give Tehran a break. And….2) I need him for a pairing. So anyway, he's back in the picture now! I'll have to repost the original bio I had for him on my Authors Information. And I'm SO jealous-I want to go to Ottawa, Japan! Where's my money?! Where are those tickets?!

HimitsuKokoro: Do you really think I made Mariah make up with him so soon? I thought it was taking forever for them to get back together and I probably wouldn't be so forgiving if that was all he did, but I didn't feel like making her rude or having to try and put another romantic scene in. (*sigh!* What a long sentence…) So--how's life going? ;)

Galux Kitty: HAH! Did you _really _bend the spoon in half? Gosh, that would have been a gallon of laughs to see! I go to your site as often as I can! One of the downloaded pictures is actually my background-Ray is hugging Mariah in a cuddle position. Cue: Aww! That's how I discovered Yu-Gi-Oh. Just flipping and "Oh! Hey, he's kind of cute..." Turned into my second anime boy obsession: Seto Kaiba. But, I know you hate Yu-Gi-Oh, so onto more important matters. Whenever I associate December with something, it's always snow and christmas and cold and such, so it's weird to hear that for some peoples it means summer break. Culture shock, we should call it. Hah! You and Hikari-Tenshi both brought up the fact that the Saint Shields are reminiscent of the White Tigers. How weird! And I totally agree! Who's Foxy Guy? Dare I ask? Careers people thought I was going to be an Engineer. I hate work. I hate dirt. I hate math. I hate thinking about problems I can't solve. Fat chance. And I have AIM-same name. I can't ever figure out how to change, but I'll put you down and try to catch you online here sometime!

Hikari-T3nshi: I added you to my address book! Now I have to write you sometime! More friends! Hey, I'd never thought about that! *shudders* Kevin and Joseph together…the terror, the horror, the beatings. Yeah, Mobekai is really nice when he and Mariah are together. Or he could just be the stereotype for what I want in a guy. (sigh) Don't we all? I kind of have an idea for what happens to him though and you'll like the ending for both Mariah and Mobekai. AND I'M SO MAD! I can't get that site to load that you sent me! And it's eating me alive! I want to know who the heck Mistel is! Any relation to Shippu no Jin? Or the Paldez Soldar team? So…have you seen G-Rev too? Darn. Like I said, we are ALWAYS the last to receive anything.

Suzuran: Ha! I was getting online to update these chapters and your review appeared telling me to update! Must be your lucky day, huh? You'll get your wish granted sooner than you thought! Again, who the heck is Mistel?! Must be a pretty kawaii guy huh? Salima, Saliva, no difference: Yes! I like that analogy very much. (Ray: Oh no…twisted ideas are beginning to form in her mind…run! Run Away Very Fast!) bOnK! Anyway…YEA for the long review and for being first on your list of favorites! Thank you! 


	24. Screw Over

**Cool Quote:**   
"Some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul." -Ezra Taft Benson   
  


**Author's Note:** Okay, here's my lame excuse which you can buy or not buy (for $20 dollars! hehe, j/k!): I had EXTREME writers block for the past three weeks. I mean, I would literally sit down and stare at the computer for a couple of hours and listen to music, contemplating what word to write first. Kinda funny, now that I think about it…ANYWAY, thanks for being patient and not pulling your hair out and not throwing baseballs at your computer screen and yelling profanities at your internet service provider and making---(Ray: I think they get it.) Right. Sorry! 

**FINAL (Sort of) Disclaimer:** The author has only seen half of Beyblade 2002 (VForce) and has not seen G Rev at all, so incorrect information or misspellings about characters that might appear in the context are innocently accidental. Zen Tai-Ken, Renlee Brown, Tehran Chang, Brittney Loveless, Annelise Parker, William (Will) Trenton, and David and Rochelle Llewellyn belong to me as well as any other additional character not associated with Beyblade. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish rightfully belong to me as well.

**EXTRAS**:

I think I've been spelling Bryan wrong. It should be "Brian", not Bryan. I will fix the previous chapters when I get the chance too. There also might be a lot of mistakes in this chapter. I wrote all the parts over a span of two weeks, so I wasn't sure what needed editing and what didn't. I'm sorry. 

^-^ Okay, erm, do I REALLY need the disclaimer anymore? I'm sure you all get the point. ^-^ There won't be a disclaimer next time, so don't sue me or rat on me or nothin'. The only other times a disclaimer will appear will be when I finally tell you what Trish's last name is or anything else significant happens that'll be a judgement call on my part as to whether it will appear. Thanks!  
  


_Italics are thoughts._**  
Bold letters are songs.   
  
  
**

**WATCH THIS!**  
Chapter 24: Screw Over  
  


"Where the heck are you going?" Brian looked up as Tala headed for the door.

On the way, he kicked Ian in the stomach,

"Get up, let's go get some dinner. Then we need to come back, pack and head for the boat."

Ian rubbed his stomach and got up with a glower on his face,

"If you hit enough people, Tala, maybe you'll make your hands as red as your hair."

"Oh, shut-up."

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"Good job out there!" David congratulated Annelise as she entered the dressing room, proudly holding her bit-beast Minute. 

They had come back from horseback riding around five and had stopped only to change briefly and grab their Beyblades before heading to the tournament. Their opponents had been a Polish team called, "The Blitzers."

"We win by forfeit," Brittany skipped into the room, "Their last player came down with the flu."

"That's a relief," Tehran leaned easily against the wall.

"No, it's an indicator that we suck," Renlee spoke up quietly, "We'll look pathetic in the stadium if we get worried over a bunch on little amateurs and we call it a relief."

"I agree with Renlee," Will spoke, "--sadly."

"Well, then, you'll just have to practice training," David said with a shrug and a small smile.

"It's your fault, you know," Renlee picked at her thumb absently before looking up, "You're not doing a single thing to train us. We're going to lose this tournament because of you. You know, if Rochelle was here—"

"She'd do the exact same thing. We sponsor and we encourage you, Renlee. But it is you that must train and become good. I have no part in that and will not claim responsibility for your own failures."

There was silence for a moment.

Tehran raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips to indicate that he thought David's statement truly made sense. David grabbed his coat,

"Let's go to the dock and get something to eat. I'm sure you're all starved."

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Ray knew now who had taken both the purple blouse and the Beyblade.  
The first thought that entered Ray's mind was whether he should confront Mobekai privately or publicly about the thievery. The second was figuring out where the heck he might've put Driger. He decided not to confront Mobekai at all. He would steal Driger back on his own. If Mobekai had anything to say about it, Ray would then be ready to start pointing fingers. As for Driger….well, Ray began to doubt whether he would actually find him or not. He would steal a time during their next tournament in Germany to take a look in their room--no, that was wrong, and Ray knew it. White Tiger or not, that was being dishonest and Ray did not want to stoop to that level. He would have to counter Mobekai sometime before the Bladebreakers entered the tournament again. That was, if Kenny didn't kill him first for "losing" his blade.

"Time to go." Kai walked sulkily toward the door, "Max, you too."

Max looked up from his conversation with Emily, said goodbye and headed toward the door.

"Bye Ray!" Ray flinched a little inwardly. He'd been seconds to the door without thinking anyone had noticed, but he turned around out of curiosity anyway. Gary was waving merrily at him from the kitchen entrance, but Mariah was the one that had spoken.

"See ya," Ray smiled.

"Time to GO Hilary!" Tyson shouted in her ear. She'd been sleeping on a bean bag in the corner. She reached up immediately and punched Tyson in the nose. He jumped back in surprise.

"Don't yell in my ear," she hissed angrily.

"Geez," Tyson rubbed his nose, "Just showing you what it's like---"

"If you want to really know what's it's like waking you up, you should try overpowering a train's whistle," said Hilary.

Tyson rolled his eyes and screwed up his face, wordlessly mimicking her smugness as he walked out the door.

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"Where is Emily and Michael?" Dr. Judy demanded of Eddy and Steve, once she had closed the door behind her.  
Eddy shrugged and looked nervously down at Steve, who raised his right upper lip in response. Judy frowned and searched the back rooms. She entered the main room and raised her eyes to the ceiling,  
"Michael! Emily! Come out right now if you can hear me!"  
Eddy and Steve stood a little too tensely in front of her. Eddy had come back a little early from the party and Steve hadn't gone at all. But Michael and Emily had stayed for a while. Dr. Judy looked down and placed her hands on her hips,  
"All right, boys, I'll give you ten seconds to come up with a lame excuse and then I want to know where the rest of this team is."  
Eddy didn't speak. Steve didn't speak. Judy stared. The door suddenly burst open and Michael and Emily came in, laughing at something. They stopped immediately when Judy turned.  
"Where have you been?" She demanded.  
Behind her, Eddy shook his head emphatically.  
Emily stuttered,   
"So...sorry, Judy, we just went out for a walk."  
"It's twelve! You should've been in by ten!"   
"We lost track of time!" Michael defended.   
Judy sighed,  
"Just don't do it again. We're leaving at six sharp for Germany. I suggest you get some rest."  
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"Is Tyson up yet?" Hilary poked her head in.  
"He will be in a minute," Max called back merrily. He was rummaging around in the bathroom and came out with a tub of steaming hot water. He was holding it with two towels to prevent his hands from being burned. Hilary watched curiously.  
Ray was eating some cereal in the kitchen, the only one fully awake and functioning. Knowing Ray, he'd probably been up around four or five this morning. Kenny was trying to keep his eyes open and Kai was sulking in the corner, anxiously looking up at the clock. Max was awake, but he was still in a loose shirt and boxers.   
Max ran into Tyson's room.  
"What's he doing?" Hilary asked Ray at the table.  
"Pouring hot water on Tyson. There are, thus far, only four ways of waking Tyson up: Hot water, ice cubes, sticking anchovies or broccoli down his throat, or dragging him around the room until his head's hit enough stuff."  
"Why can't you just set an alarm clock?"  
"He doesn't hear it."  
"AUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"   
"That's him now." Ray grinned up at her, "We try to vary our methods. Yesterday was the dragging. It was the shower stump that finally woke him up."  
Hilary shook her head.  
Mrs. Llewellyn poked her head through the door, "Ya'll up?!"  
"Yes!" Max called from the bedroom. A grumble was heard and then finally Tyson shouted,   
"Yes!"  
"Good! Cause we have to be to the airport in half an hour."  
"What?!" Everyone jumped.  
Another loud thump came from the bedroom and Tyson began to swear an assortment of letters running together.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
At the Austrian International airport, Mobekai caught glimpses of some of the other teams.   
The White Tigers he saw first. He waved at Mariah, but Lee glared. He guessed that their sudden and brief friendship was over. Trish was walking briskly ahead of them, but she was dragging Kira by the arm to make her keep in step. He had to skip a few paces just to stay in pace with Danika. Colby, however, was slowing their pace, by stopping every few minutes to yawn. 

"Colby!" Mobekai sighed exasperatingly as they stopped for the fifth time.

"I---I can't…help it," she yawned again very loudly, "It's four in the…morning."

"It's six actually," Danika checked the clock.

"Whatever."

"Get on my back!" Mobekai tossed her hands over his shoulders and picked her up. Colby did not object and instead closed her eyes and fell limp on his back. Danika rolled her eyes and grabbed Kira from Trish,

"Gosh girl!" Danika pulled back Kira's sleeves to reveal some slightly red bumps, "Trish! How hard have you been holding Kira?"

"Sorry." Trish apologized quickly. 

"I just don't feel like walking that fast," Kira explained, as if it were her fault.

"She can't get on anyone else's back," Trish explained, "You and I are holding bags. Let's just get to the gate as fast as we can and then we can take a rest. It's not far."  
They passed the All-Stars then. Emily and Michael exchanged kindly glances. Eddy and Steve stared, but did not make any gestures. Dr. Judy glanced at them once with a kind smile, before turning away.

They arrived at their terminal. They were flying with Star Alliance Airlines. Happenstance, so were the Bladebreakers. A lady was standing impatiently next to them. They watched the Wild Cheetahs from the other side of the gate. Ray was frowning at him. Mobekai blinked once to make sure he was not reading him wrong, then turned back to his own team to avoid thinking about why Ray would be upset with him. He was probably just being paranoid.

He dropped Colby. She curled up in one of the chairs and closed her eyes.  
"Where are the tickets?" Danika asked Trish.  
"_I_ don't have them," she responded matter-of-factly.  
"You don't have the tickets?" she asked Mobekai.  
"No, not that I can remember…"  
"Don't worry-I have them," Kira unzipped her backpack and handed them to Danika.

"Are we going to check any bags?" Mobekai asked.  
"We'll have to," Danika hefted two big duffel bags, "We won't be able to take these on the aircraft."  
"I'll take them," Mobekai offered as the only boy, and gentleman, on the team, "How much time we got left?"  
"20 minutes before they begin boarding. You're perfectly fine."  
_Ding a ling ling ling! Ding a ling! Ding a ling!_  
Trish turned around and answered her phone,  
"Hello?"  
Mobekai watched her for a minute and then took the bags from Danika's hands,  
"I think I'm going to need Trish's I.D to check these. I'm not 17 yet."  
Danika tried to grab Trish's purse, but Trish swiped her hand.  
"I.D!" Danika mouthed, shaping her hands into Trish's License. Trish dug around in her purse,  
"I've flippin already paid you! What do you mean, there's something else in the envelope? It should just be papers--"  
She finally pulled out a small rectangular card with her name and picture and shoved it into Mobekai's hands.   
Kira shook her head,   
"Thanks for doing this Mobekai. We'll wait for you, kay?"  
"Thanks. I won't take long."  
He hefted one bag over his shoulder and set the other one behind his back. He tried to walk as well as he could down the terminal, because the bags were beginning to dig into his skin. He arrived at the line and placed the bags on the large scale.

"Where is your destination today?"

"Munich, West Germany."

"I.D?"

"Here," Mobekai placed Trish's I.D. on the counter, "It's my friends. Her bag is right here."

"Mobekai, wait up!"

Mobekai turned around, a slow process, until he came face to face with Ray.

"Hey!" Mobekai smiled, "What's up?"

"I'll cut to the chase," Ray eyed the duffelbags, "Do you have a minute?"

"That'll be at Gate 23, leaving in twenty minutes. Have a safe trip!" the lady handed him the I.D. and the ticket packet and dragged his bags onto the slow moving conveyor belt behind the desks. Mobekai walked over to a secluded corner away from the checkout lines. Ray followed anxiously. Mobekai turned around and stuck Trish's I.D back in his pocket,

"What's wrong?"

"Last night you gave Mariah a purple blouse with a  flower in the corner. Where'd you get it from?"

"I bought it."

"Where?" Ray repeated.

"A store."

"When did you buy it then?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Mobekai shot back a little too defensively.

"I just want to know," Ray shrugged, as if the questions were harmless.

"I got it in France," Mobekai replied.

Ray frowned and shifted his position,

"I bought a purple blouse in a mall in Aix-En-Provence and I swear it looks like the one you gave Mariah. I lost the blouse the same day I lost my blade."

Mobekai raised his eyebrows. _Was he accusing him? _

"That's a shame. I'm really sorry about that."

"Where is it?" Ray asked, still quite calmly.

"Where is what?"

"You're not innocent, Mobekai. And you're not fooling me. That was the blouse I got. I know you must have my blade. You're the only person I know that would have reason to."

"Really?" Mobekai smirked, "Enlighten me, please."

"Tell me where it is, Mobekai," Ray said again, now with a slight edge to his voice.

"Are you going to hurt me, Ray?" Mobekai taunted a little confidently, "Oh, c'mon, you've never hit me before and you don't have any reason to now."

Ray instantly pinned Mobekai against the wall in the airport and said a little more shakily,

"Tell me where my blade is, Mobekai. I need Driger back."

Mobekai's eyes narrowed,

"Good job. You figured it out. Pat yourself on the back. I still won't tell you where it is."

"I need to know where my blade is…right _now. Or I'll get your team disqualified. Stealing might even require a little jail time. In a foreign country? Are you willing to risk that, Mobekai?"_

Mobekai slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out Trish's I.D.,

"I hate you."

"Good to know we're on the same level," Ray rolled his eyes, "And I prefer 'strongly dislike'…"

"You hate me just for stealing your blade? Oh, c'mon, Ray, you must've done worst."

"I'm honest," Ray defended, "You haven't given me much base to find reasons to like you. I think you hated me from the start."

"I still do."

"Why?"

"Everyone always likes you. Are you just that good at concealing your weaknesses?"

Ray did not respond and took the I.D. from his hands.

"I won't rat you out if you don't rat me out either," Mobekai said quietly.

Ray looked suspicious,

"How could you rat me out?"

"It's illegal to blackmail bladers."

Ray looked a little skeptical,

"I don't think it's blackmail."

"It is."

"Fine. I won't tell anyone you stole from me," he released Mobekai, "What's this for?"

"You'll need it. Every three days, Trish sends a "report" to Bo--our "sponsor" and I put it in there. It's at the post office. It's supposed to mail tomorrow. It's probably under Trish' name, which is why you'll need her I.D."

"Why would you send it to your sponsor?"

"I'd have to kill you if I told you."

"Fair enough," Ray's eyebrows shot up, "Literally?"

"Maybe."

"You'll hold the plane right?"

"No way," Mobekai smirked, thinking he had all the advantages.

Ray's face drew a blank and he stared at the wall. He looked almost as if time had stopped. Then slowly, almost with absolute resolution, he turned around and sprinted---for the airport entrance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ray better get his arse down here soon," Tyson looked at his watch, "What in heaven's name is taking him so long?" 

"He'll be here," Hilary wringed her hands nervously.

"We might have to leave without him," Kai suggested.

"We can't leave without Ray!" Kenny protested, "Are you out of your mind?"

"_I'll_ go look for him then. You guys stay here," Mrs. Llewellyn warned before heading off down the terminal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trish hung up and then spurring angrily,

"Stupid Bastar-"

"Trish!" Kira gaped.

"Oh, right," Trish rolled her eyes, "You don't like swearing."

"What's wrong?" Danika asked.

"I have to get down to the post office. Idiots said there's something 3-d in the package I sent and it's gonna cost me extra."

"But the flight leaves in 10 minutes!" Kira worried.

Colby looked up from the chair,

"Can we trade in our tickets for a later flight?"

"We could try," Danika looked around at the desk, "I'll worry about that, though. Go ahead and go, Trish."

"Where's my I.D.?"

"Mobekai has it. Oh! There he is!" Kira nodded behind her back. Trish spun around and saw Mobekai walking almost hypnotically toward them.

"I.D?" Trish asked impertinently.

Mobekai ignored her and continued to walk….walk even past his own team.

"Mobekai!" Trish raised her voice, "What did you do with my I.D?"

"I don't have it," said Mobekai.

Trish gaped. 

"I gave it to Ray," he finished.

"Ray?!" Trish asked in disbelief, "As in, Ray from the Bladebreakers? Why the heck did you do that?"

Danika's fists clenched,

"Just another problem! Why the heck is your mind still lingering in the gutter?! Wake….UP!" Danika hit Mobekai hard in the head.

"Stop it!" Mobekai pushed her back, "I knew full well what I was doing. Don't worry about your package, Trish. He's going to get that extra item."

"I don't want him looking in that folder!" Trish's eyes got wide, "What's in there for Ray? And how did---Wait a minute. I never told you there was something extra in that package. Freaking Jupiter."

"I said don't worry about it. We won't miss our flight. The Bladebreakers are going to do our dirty work for us," said Mobekai.

"As cool as that sounds, I still want to know what you put in my envelope?"

"I swore I wouldn't tell. Let's just say, Ray can't leave this city without it."

"You got a hold of Driger?" Danika asked, a little curiously.

Mobekai smirked,

"I never told you."

Danika stared at him in disbelief,

"YOU IDIOT! We almost got it to Tai-Ken and you SCREWED us over by telling RAY where it was?!!" She smacked him over the head again, "IDIOT!"

Mobekai rubbed his head,

"I didn't have a choice."

"What, he blackmailed you?" 

Mobekai rubbed his hands together and looked at the ground,

"Well, I never told you that either."

"Screw what he said. We can turn him in for that," Colby stood up, now completely intrigued. 

"He'll turn me in."

"For stealing? He'll be disqualified by then. It won't MATTER," Danika hit him lightly in the head as if he had no brains and she was trying to knock into his mind. 

Mobekai frowned, as if this realization had never occurred.

"Gosh…" He dropped his head into his hands. 

"_Yes_!" Colby raised her hands in mock disbelief, "NOW he gets it. So, here we are, without any proper I.D. and we just lost the one chance to send Tai-Ken what he wanted. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't want anyone else to know," Mobekai said quietly.

"Son of a lousy—" Danika stared at him, "You were going to take all the credit. Trish wouldn't have sent it. She doesn't give a crap about Tai-Ken…"

"Too damn right," Trish added.

"So, then, you would have called and told your courageous story of how you'd stolen it…all by yourself. Leaving us in the dark. You make me sick," Danika scowled.

"I thought of it, I performed it---"

"And then you completely screwed up all your meticulous planning!" Colby again raised her hands and began walking back and forth, "Now, Ray's going to get his blade back, he's going to figure out who Trish is interacting with, put two and two together, try and have us disqualified…." 

She turned around to face them, her face contorted with rage,

"And if THAT doesn't happen, then we're still faced with the problem of keeping Ray quiet about the envelope and managing to STILL try and steal his blade AGAIN…when he knows we---sorry, ONE of us, has already managed too. It's going to be a lot harder from now on, you realize that, don't you? He's going to keep his blade under a closer watch."

"Then it'll be all the greater when we finally hand it to Tai-Ken. And you can't blame me. At least I took steps to get the job done. We're not only out here to win this tournament. We have a job to do," Mobekai defended.

"Mobekai's right," Trish had been watching the Bladebreakers and suddenly turned around, "I should be mad that he used me, lied to me, completely messed up my job, and very well might have invoked the wrath of Voltaire and Boris on me. However, I'm not. I'm actually completely in awe that he managed to pull it all off. I think it's amazing."

Mobekai had been standing, firmly, looking almost resolutely as his teammates took the time to say how disgusted they were with his act, but he was a little surprised to hear this coming from Trish. He'd been almost certain she'd have had the worst to say about him. He smiled.

"But I still think you're a lousy scum on the other hand for screwing over your teammates. That doesn't deserve much merit…or trust," Trish also scowled.

And there was the worst. Surprisingly, he wasn't upset one bit that they were all mad at him.

"Get on the plane," Trish commanded, "I'm going to go get my license. I'll meet up with you in Germany."

"Where're you going to find alternate transportation?" Kira asked.

"I don't know and I guess I kind of don't care," Trish shrugged, "Make sure you get my luggage though."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Final Note**:  And still a little more with the plot….Okay, I'm running out of romantic ideas. Will anyone give me some suggestions? Maybe I should have like a multiple choice situation. Okay, I have a site now at MSN groups. It's under RayMariahFan.  There's not much there cause I haven't had a chance to sit down and work on it, but I will find some time in January. So sorry!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I had a great birthday! Like, a month and a half ago! ;) 14 reviews! Thanks so much to the following people:  
  
HimitsuKokoro: (sigh) I'm not sure anymore how long it's going to be. I just know what I want to have happen. I'm so used to having these gigantic long chapters that it's really hard for me to have shorter chapters. At the same time, it might be more of a benefit to shorten them. I could get them posted quicker and I might even get through the plots easier. So I'm working on that.   
  
Suzuran: I know your birthday was on the 19th, but I couldn't send an e-mail or contact you in anyway so…HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY GRL! How old did you turn? I hope you had a great time…eating cake, opening presents and trying to avoid the sometimes off-pitch birthday song. You're so right: everyone still seems to like Mobekai/Mariah, so I'm not sure how many'll stay to read after I break them up. At least I know I can write good original romance. And Mobekai *does* start to get a little bad for a while (ducks flying pie crusts)…but then he gets good again. Well, I guess that depends on how you would define "bad". I might keep him nice since everyone seems to think he's such a QT-pie. I don't really want to make him "bad", per say.   
  
Ice Archer Girl: Michael! I like him too. He's like a big brother. At least, in my mind, that's kind of how I see him. A very obnoxious older brother. Kane is my favorite too! If only he belonged to another, *cuter* team…like, all boys. A little Trish/Kai is coming up in the next two chapters. Do you think they've had enough interactions to be considered light friends? Or do you think they should have a good bonding moment before I start with the romance? 

Neko-neko(): *_~I totally understand the whole bugging friend thing. I enjoy reading all the little comments anyway!   
  
HikArI-T3nShi: Yeah, unfortunately, poor Mobekai's mood reflected my feelings at the time I wrote it. Sorry Mobekai! The fighting will eventually get more angsty between Ray/Mobekai. Because Ray starts to develop feelings for Mariah…^-^ Or at least discover what he's felt for her the entire time.  
  
Bimbo-blonde: Besides the main R/M, Tala/Annelise, Lee/Colby, and Tyson/Hilary (whew!) will be my favorite pairings to write about so it's nice that you also like two of those pairings. Well, three with R/M! I'm so mad that Annelise and Colby aren't actual characters on the show…now THAT would be cool!   
  


RayeBBG: Thank you! I hope you're still waiting to read! ^^ lol! I'm such slow poke…

  
Galux Kitty the Rabid Moogle: ;) Cool addition to the name. Oh, are you on Neopets? I am too! On NP, it is Cheat ( I've beaten all 9 levels!), but it's actually a real card game called BS (a.k.a Bullshit). I'm a chocolate freak so I'd love the chocolate cake…especially from guy friends. I have so few. My friends think I'm the biggest girly girl they've ever met. Welp, have a good day!   
  
SongCatcher: Kudos! Thank you! *_*  
  
Jadis Fazer: You'll learn more about Tai-Ken soon. It's meant to kinda throw you off. (Ray: YES! Kill Mobekai! Kill him! Die scum!) RAY! (Ray: Run Away! Run Away!) *sigh* You've seen too much of Monty-Python. (Ray: It IS addictive…"ne"!) Oh Bother.   
  
LisaOceans Potter: Ray/Mariah Fans United! Well, I can't guarantee anything at this point cause I have no idea. I know how frustrating it can get though! Sorry! );   
  
Nicole: Oh my gosh! You're right! They do kind of have the same hair pattern going there. And V-Force is still CRAP! YES! And Salima WILL rot in hell-I'll bring a big enough handbasket to drop her off in. HAHAHA! (Ray: *big sweat drop* okay…you're scaring me now)  
  
signoftheeagle: Huh. I really like your name/signing name. It'd been so long since I'd posted, when I got your review, I was like "Whoa! That's cool!" So here's the next edition of the story as I shall continue!  
 


	25. Confrontations

At 15 Microsoft Word Pages, this is my longest chapter yet. Cool! ;) You deserve it.

Cool Quote:

"Look! All the people look like ants from up here!" 

"That's because they ARE ants, Max. You're looking at the floor of the balcony."

-Kenny and Max in _Showdown in Hong Kong_

Bold Letters still indicate Songs.

__

Italics still indicate thoughts.

Authors Note/Disclaimer_ (needed):_

~~ Originally, I WAS going to have Ray pin Mobekai against the wall and slug him, as a lot of people had hoped I was going to do. But I wanted to keep the shy, confident, cool part that makes Ray so attractive. Lmso: so Ray will start to more "freely" express his rage. Mobekai will piss him off after a while anyway. And then the "friendly patting parties" will begin. Boy, I'd kinda like to see Ray punch Mobekai…and vice versa. *enter evil laugh*

~~ The money equivalency is all guess/pretense. I'm too lazy to do math. I loathe the subject.

~~ If you haven't noticed, it's night-time in Ireland, whereas it's very early morning in Austria. Which is REALLY REALLY stupid, as the only time difference, in reality, is probably a couple of hours. Oops.

~~ Mrs. Llewellyn is really a "miss" because she is only engaged to David, the Superior's current sponsor, but I've been using "Mrs." because it sounds better. 

~~ I saw Ray talking with his sensei early on when I was kind of new to the series and assumed he was talking to a grandfather. Though he doesn't exist in the series, there is no proof that Ray DOESN'T have a grandfather, so I will continue with the idea that he does.

~~ Also, I had a right to believe Tala was the captain of the Demolition Boys. To my extreme protest, because he is the tiniest looking piece of crap I've seen, Ian is actually the captain. Well, he's not crap, but I sure think Tala would be a much better leader. So, for the sake of not screwing this story up, Tala will also continue to be the captain of the Demolition Boys.

~~ I seriously don't blame you if you've kind of lost interest in this story. It's my fault for not updating more often. I was doing okay until school started. I'll be out in a month and a half…but then I'm supposed to work full-time. I'll continue to try as best I can.

Watch This 25

Chapter 25: _Confrontation_

*~*~*

"Would you like my jacket?" Enrique pulled his jacket off and gracefully wrapped it around Alexandra's shoulders.

"Thank you," she kissed him lightly on the cheek, "You're cold too."

"I can handle it," he winked at her.

"I have an idea! Let's go to one of the shops and look around for some…"

"Ahhhh….a shopping spree!" came an extremely sarcastic high pitched voice, "How I LOVE shopping sprees!" 

"Excuse me," Alexandra's eyes narrowed and her voice became gravely icy, "That is very rude."

Johnny lightly slapped Enrique's cheeks and grimaced,

"My dear, dear, Enrique…..how I pity you." 

"Finally!" Oliver exclaimed, "We've been looking all over town for you!"

"We need to get supper and head for the boat immediately." Robert pulled Enrique away from Alexandra, "And no, she can't come with you."

Enrique spun around, "Will I see you in Amsterdam then?"

"Actually, I was thinking of taking a plane back to France. But I will call you every day. And I will see you at the finals."

"Good!" He leaned in and kissed her passionately, rubbing his hands up and down her back to create warmth through the friction. 

Oliver coughed. Johnny cracked his knuckles. Finally, Robert reached over and, grabbing Enrique by the neck collar, pulled away the entangled couple.

"Let's go." Robert commanded. 

*~*~*

Ray ran down the terminal sidewalk as far as he could before signaling a taxi. One pulled up rather quickly and the man reached back to push open the door, but Ray was quicker.

"Ho!" The driver politely greeted, holding up a hand and viewing him from the main mirror. He had a mustache and a heavy accent, "My name's Jon. What can I do for---"

"Post Office. And I'll pay you double if you can get there in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?!" Jon turned around, "Kid, you've got to be kidding me. It's a thirty minute drive."

"Triple the amount then."

"You're in a big rush then."

"My airline leaves in fifteen minutes."

"You're screwed, then. I can try to make it in ten, but there's still the return trip."

"Please just get me there as fast as you can." Ray reached up and placed Ұ50 on the passengers seat.

"Ha!" the man laughed heartily, "That's only €17 euros. You're going to have to give me a little more than that."

"The rest of my money is packed up. Is there any way I can owe you?"

"Not if you're about to take an airline out of here. Get out of my cab, kid."

Ray got out quickly and pushing a bunch of people out of the way, managed to find a fire escape near the last terminal. He climbed slowly and stealthily up, hoping his legs were long enough and fast enough to maneuver him to the top of the post office. Even as he climbed though, his heart sank to the bottom of his chest in slow recognition that not even a mini jet could save his actions now. 

He would surely miss the flight.

*~*~*

"Then it'll be all the greater when we finally hand it to Tai-Ken…" Mobekai defended.

Ms. Llewellyn had only passed 5 meters in front of the Indian team and stopped immediately in her tracks. A passerby would have thought she'd been out in the cold too long, the way her face colored and her eyes widened. 

She continued to walk down the terminal, but she was no longer looking for Ray. She reached the nearest pay phone and began dialing the number. Trish passed her by a couple of minutes later, her eyes alert and her head held high. _Was she also looking for Ray? And why?_

"Hello?" His deep and calm voice answered.

"Hmm? Oh! Hey, it's me."

"Rochelle? Is there something wrong?"

"David, I--------"

Trish had broken into a fast jog, glancing up every few seconds. Rochelle glanced up but a jutting ledge separating the pay phones and bathrooms obscured her view of the roof. Trish must have spotted Ray, but Rochelle still could not see any sign of the raven-haired boy. And then she remembered:

__

"I jumped!"

"Huh?" her eyes sparkled, "Jumped where, hun?"

"I jumped, from brick to brick! It's fun! I can go far, too! And fast! Just like Lee and Mariah! Watch this!"

"Rochelle?" Came the voice. Rochelle's eyes unfocused from the wall in front of her,

"I'm here."

She found Trish and kept a close watch on her as her fast jog turned into a sprint. She soon lost sight of the girl's distinguishable red hair.

"I think the Wild Cheetahs know something about Tai that I haven't discovered yet, David."

*~*~*

"The Wild Cheetahs?" David leaned closer against the phone piece and burrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement.

"An ambiguous group from India." Came the muffled voice.

"You don't suppose he might have gone back and gathered a group of amateur bladers, do you?"

"Heavens no. These kids have got some skill. Tai-Ken knows he's got to get far in this tournament."

"So then you think he's in group B?"

"No. The Wild Cheetahs haven't been accompanied by anyone since I met them in Milan. That's why I called you. I think he's hiding out over there with Group A."

"All right. I'll be on the lookout. How is everything else going?"

"Good. After I accompany the Bladebreakers to Germany, I'm taking a train over to Amsterdam. I'll meet you tomorrow for dinner."

"Can't Wait. We're about to eat dinner now ourselves."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

He hung up, brushing aside his momentary puzzlement and anxiety. 

"What was that all about?" David turned around and saw Renlee staring at him curiously.

"Nothing; Rochelle was just calling to see how everything was going."

"I thought Rochelle was with the Bladebreakers."

"She is."

"Then why did you mention the Wild Cheetahs?"

"Oh. Do you know who they are?" David asked interestedly.

Renlee ignored him and asked yet another question,

"Who is Tai-Ken?" 

"An evil man," David replied quite abruptly, "Sooo…what's on the menu?"

Renlee had opened her mouth to ask another question, but shut it slowly. Maybe she had asked enough questions. David's tone had implied that he was no longer open for discussion about his personal conversations. 

Renlee did know who the Wild Cheetahs were. She lived with Danika and Mobekai in Bangladesh. Her family moved three years ago to London and she slowly lost touch. When the European tournament did present an opportunity to go back to India, she was never able to find her friends. She had met Rochelle while she was in Bangladesh and was therefore introduced to the Superiors. Renlee joined, but only on the terms that she could be captain. 

"Hamburgers! How I love….Ummf! Hamburgers! An English Specialty!" Brittney scarfed down the poor beef in her hands before helping herself to another in the small buffet sit-down on the wharf. 

"You'll get fat!" Annelise looked on in horror.

"Well, good. You could do with some then. You'll die from starvation, I'll bet anything," she pushed a plate of burgers to her friend. Annelise pulled a face and shook her head, slowly pushing the plate to the side,

"Some poor cow died because of all this wasted meat."

"Yernotterninintoveggive, raewe?" Tehran gobbled, spitting out pieces of pork. Annelise stared in horror as a few flecks fell in her milk.

"_What?!"_ Brittany asked.

Tehran swallowed,

"You're not turning into a vegetarian, are you?"

"No. But I think I'll be needing some more liquid," Annelise got up and climbed over Tehran in the booth.

Will gladly took a couple of burgers as Brittney passed the plate. He did not eat them however. He squashed them into his plate and picked it apart until only beef covered his plate. Then he did the same with his bread buns and mixed them together with a spoon. 

"You're strange." Renlee whispered, watching his actions.

"Cool," was Will's reply.

*~*~*

"Have you found him?" Kenny asked, meeting Mrs. Llewellyn halfway. He was frantically pacing around his friends while Dizzi began to list numbers concerning Ray.

"And it's only .5 percent that he'll even return without having accomplished what he was supposed to do."

Kenny stopped, eyes wide.

"I think we get the point, Dizzi," Max frowned.

"Don't look at me! I'm just the innocent bit-beast trapped inside the multi-functional computer that loves to do Kenny's bidding."

"So did you find him or not?" Tyson exclaimed exasperatingly

"Don't worry about Ray," Ms. Llewellyn sat down in one of the chairs, "He'll find a way to reach Munich."

"Don't you think he'd tell us if he had something important to do? What if he needs our help?" Max questioned.

"He already has help," Ms. Llewellyn answered curtly, "Trish sprinted by me about two minutes ago. I suppose she had something to take up with him."

"That can't be good then," Kai snorted, "Wherever Trish goes, trouble follows."

"Oh, shut-up you old grump," Tyson's eyes shut halfway in annoyance, "Trouble follows you just as easily."

"Be quiet, both of you!" Hilary rolled her eyes, "Let's just book a later flight. I want to help Ray, but I can't if I don't have any idea where the heck he's heading."

"And the only way out of this country is right here. So eventually he's bound to come back here," Max picked up on the idea, "That sounds okay by me."

"Same here," Tyson yawned.

"We'll be cutting time VERY closely," Kenny began to sweat again, "Remember, if we arrive late at our destination-without our full team-we'll be disqualified. Ray better have a very good excuse for--"

"Chill chief!" Tyson stretched, "The judges wouldn't disqualify ME! US! We're the _world champions_!"

Mrs. Llewellyn, who had been watching the whole scene with interest, suddenly smiled knowingly.

"And we're back to the ego thing…" Hilary rolled her eyes.

"I'd also rather be with Austrian speaking people than German speaking people," Tyson began to fumble in his pockets.

"What the heck does THAT have to do with anything?" Hilary asked.

Tyson pulled out some exchange and grinned, "You can't barter for food with non-English speaking people."

"You've already had breakfast," said Max impatiently, "Don't waste your money."

"Nah. That was an early morning snack. Where'd that newspaper stand go? I thought I saw some doughnuts…"

*~*~*

"What a smorgasbord!" Spencer looked around hungrily at the buffet. 

Ian, however, pulled a face,

"What a dump."

The open restaurant faced the wharf. To the left were several plastic tables and for centerpieces, cheap vases were decorated with daisies and tulips. To the right were two long tables, with poles dividing the lines of people slowly moving down the entrees. And in the back, at the end of the line, were employees operating cash registers. The right wall was decorated with beautiful antique linens and drapes, while the left side, nearest the tables, stood near a brake in the pier and Austrian glazed glass gave the restaurant a beautiful touch. 

Tala crossed the room in five strides and grabbed a plate,

"This'll do fine."

Brian glanced around once before following. Before he could follow behind Tala, though, an old man, a little girl, and a married couple came from the fountain drink area, which was behind the food tables.

Spencer pushed his way past everyone and knocked the old man out of the line so he could stand next to Tala.

"Get out of the way gramps."

A cane came out of nowhere and whacked Spencer on the head.

"I'll go where I want to young squirt." The old man turned around angrily. "Now get behind me, or I'll get the owner."

Spencer rubbed his head resentfully, but rightly took his place with Brian and Ian at the back of the line. The latter two could not stop smirking at Spencer's rather noticable bruise.

Ian then stepped out of line without a word and moved to grab an empty table near one of the windows. It was right behind the one the Superiors were seated at. He stole a smirking glance at Renlee, who was rather attractive. She stared viciously back at the opposing teammate. 

Tala jerked his head around at the others when he reached the soup section, but was momentarily distracted by a pair of very familiar brown eyes and blonde hair. She was ordering milk from the fountain drink stand and as she waited, drummed her fingers on the counter. 123…45…123…_Yes._ Tala remembered. She'd done that often, quite unconsciencely.

"Look, kid, are you going to move?" The married man behind him demanded.

Tala's gaze shifted. He glared for a moment at the moody man,

"I'll move when I want to, stiff."

"Is that all for you?" 

Tala nodded and handed the servicewoman fifty euros.

"Thank you!" _Bling! _The cash register popped open and the next thing Tala knew he was moving across the store without so much as a speck of desire to turn back and see Annelise again. Was this how he'd felt when she'd left Russia? His mind was telling him that there could be no doubt, but his heart was saying he'd never ached to see her so badly than he had. He wanted to believe his conscience, but his heart had never yet failed him. He turned around to glance at her one more time. The moment of distraction was all that was needed for him to crash into someone.

*~*~*

Ray jumped across the last building and crossed the building length in two strides. He slid down the pipeline quite easily and did not waste a moment to cut quickly across the road. He rolled across a taxi front as it came speeding through the intersection. Slamming harshly on the brakes, the driver proceeded to shout many unclean profanities at the foreign chinese boy. Ray rolled off the car and held up his hands,

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He yelled, pushed through the Post doors quickly and slid Trish's I.D. forward,

"This girl came in a couple days ago and ordered a package to be delivered. Do you mind if I might see it?"

The man looked skeptical,

"Sorry kid, I can't give you anything unless I have a note from the lady."

"She gave me this I.D.!" Ray huffed breathlessly. Then, taking a deep breath,

"I swear I won't touch a single thing in this package. I just need to see if there is something in there that I think she might have stolen from me."

The man hesitated once again.

"Please." Ray begged in a small voice, "It's dire."

"It'd be a federal offense if you did take anything," the man warned, "but…I suppose if it involves a federal crime I wouldn't be doing anything wrong. If you can give me valid identification that anything in this package belongs to you, I'll let you take it out of here. Otherwise…"

"I completely understand," Ray nodded fervently.

The man turned a light on in one of the back rooms. Ray heard the sound of a ladder being propped up and the sound of tissue paper. A humming buzz came from the newly refreshed printers and copier machines.

The man came back out very quickly, holding a stamped package. And right in the middle of the package was a very familiar shaped lump,

"I'll give you five minutes, kid."

*~*~*

Tala's head was pounding as he tried to sit up on the floor of the restaurant. He was hot. He could feel the blood rushing to his head. He reached up and felt blood trickling down the side of his skull. He wondered what could've been strong enough to make him bleed and looked up. Tehran, from the Superiors, had been carrying a plate in front of him. His hands were cut up and the plate was smashed into pieces on the floor. For a moment, it seemed almost as if they were a side show. Everyone stared. Brittney, instinctively, grabbed hold of Tehran's neckline and leaned over his shoulder to make sure he was all right. 

Three custodians picked up the two boys and quickly set to work cleaning the mess. The two managers then met the boys,

"We apologize sincerely for this mistake. You'll be taken into the back and cleaned up."

The noise in the room gradually rose. The sound of the cash register was quite audible again and the accident between the two boys was no longer of any concern except for a few.

"Great," Tehran held out his hands, "Guess I won't be able to get any more beef."

"I'm fine," Tala wiped some of the blood away trickling down his forehead.

"You're bleeding," Renlee stared.

"I know," Tala snapped, "I'm fine."

"Sir, we apologize…we sincerely--" the other manager stuttered.

"Just get rid of the glass then," Tala shrugged indifferently. He brushed past the managers quickly and sat down across from Ian, nearest the window. However, there was the occasional person that stared at him, even from his secluded position. It was not hard to miss the bleeding forehead.

"I hate business."

Ian watched him,

"I told you this place was a dump."

Tala, remembering suddenly what had distracted him in the first place, turned to see if he could find Annelise. She was seating herself at the Superior table, where Tehran had also appeared, with a white bandage wrapped around his hand.

"You sure you don't need anything for that?" Spencer sat down next to him. Brian sat wordlessly across from him and stared at Tala for a reaction.

"No," Tala began to eat, "It'll clot anyway. Bandages are for weaklings."

*~*~*

Ray's hands trembled as he took the package and slit it open. He could feel the edge of the attack ring under the manilla envelope. He reached into the envelope and gripped the edge of a beyblade. He pulled it out slowly and saw first the black, the gray and then the white. 

It was Driger.

Extreme relief clouted his face as he saw the familiar figure of his White Tiger shining off the top of the blade. Relief soon gave way to grief that he had once again let it slip through his hands and then anger. Mobekai had taken it. Trish had found it. And she was shipping it to someone. She was shipping _his_ blade to someone all for the sake of gain.

His fists clenched and unclenched. _Why? WHY?!_ _Someone_ was trying to hurt him. _Someone kept trying to make sure that Ray did not make it much farther into the competition._ _Who_ was she going to ship it to?

He opened the packet wider and scanned the typed letter. At the very bottom, two names stood out,

To: Zen Tai-Ken

Boris/Voltaire 

Ireland Airways Express #245890-3 day shipping

It couldn't be!

Boris and Voltaire working with Tai-Ken?!

Trish working for _Tai-Ken and Boris_…and _Voltaire_?!

He did not hear the bell ring. 

"Okay kid, your times up."

Ray looked up and saw the manager looking quite annoyed that he had allowed this "boy" to ruffle through someone's mail.

"What've you got there?" the manager sealed the packet tightly, eyeing the blade in Ray's hand.

"It's the possession I was looking for. My name is Kon Rei and I'm a member of the World Champion Beyblading team, the Bladebreakers. This is my blade, Driger. It was stolen from me."

"No, was it really?" the manager asked sarcastically, not in the least bit interested.

"You had _no _right to go through _my_ mail!"

Ray's head whipped around. Trish, red, huffed as she stepped out of the light entering the doorway,

"Where's my license?" Trish demanded.

Ray, in disgust, handed it over.

"Is this your package?" The manager asked.

"Yes, it is. My name is Trish."

"Trish---" He asked with a long implication, obviously wanting a last name.

She hesitated.

"I have it under Granger."

"What is _up _with you and not being able to ever reveal your last name?" Ray looked at her, half in pleasant wonder and half with revolting disgust, "And _what_ are you doing with my beyblade?"

"I had no idea it was in there."

"Sure, you didn't---"

"I didn't! I lost the envelope the day I shipped it. Mobekai must've slipped it in there."

"How did _Mobekai_ get a hold of my blade?" Ray demanded, becoming ever more the impatient, "Trish, if you don't give me a straight answer, I'm going to the BBA judges to demand your expulsion."

"I don't _know_!" she raised her arms hysterically.

"Excuse me." The irritating manager walked right up to their faces and turned to stare at Trish, "Is this man bugging you?"

"Er---no. Well, he is, but he has permission to be like this."

"_Permission?!_" Ray guffawed crisply, "Oh, c'mon. I have _every_ _right_ to get mad at you!"

"Does he have your proper authority to take his…_blade_…from your shipping order?"

"He did. It is his. But he had no right to look at anything else in that manilla envelope."

"If you'll wait a moment, I'll call the police ma'am. It's a federal offense."

"No! I'm not pressing charges!"

Then, in a lower voice, Trish asked Ray a seemingly very important question,

"Did you---did you see anything else in the envelope?"

Ray stood in silence, baffled by the sudden change in topic. Yes, he had Driger back and safe in his own possession. No, he had yet to figure out what Trish and Mobekai and Tai-Ken and Boris and Voltaire and just about every other person in the world seemed to want him or his blade. And yes, he had definitely seen Trish's connections. It was a hard choice. He looked around at the manager, who had his hand outstretched and concretely ready to dial the police. And Trish was begging in his ear for him to admit that he hadn't seen what she wanted to keep a dirty little secret.

"Yes."

"What?!" She asked, purely a reaction first of shock and then of disbelief. Ray's eyes seemed to bear into her very soul, searching for a reason, or at least an explanation,

"_Voltaire_…and _Boris_? You're working for _them?_" The disgust showed on his face. He could never forget the first World Championship.

Her head jerked back slowly, her mouth slowly dropping in disbelief.

"You….but….you can't…"

"_Why?_ I don't get it, Trish. Why have you done this to me? What do you want with me?"

The man had set the phone down and was now trying to listen in.

"Thank you very much," Trish snapped briefly at him, "Please just deliver the package as was earlier assigned."

"What about---?"

"I'm not pressing charges," Trish stated firmly, crisply. She dug her nails hard into Ray's arm and pulled him outside.

"Ouch! What the heck--? Are you trying to murder me now?"

"Shut-up," Trish snapped again, "I'll tell you what you want to know. Nothing more. Yes, I'm working for Boris and Voltaire. I'm one of the best they have. My mission is not _you_, however. Someone else has their eye on you. I'm here for something else. That's the _only _reason I'd be helping _you_."

Ray frowned,

"Is it Kai? Are you _still_ trying to hurt him?"

"I'm not answering any more questions!" Trish yelled.

Ray glared miserably,

"Boris and Voltaire are bad news. They'll drop you cold the first chance they'll get. Quit messing around with them, Trish."

"I'm not going to beg to Voltaire to stop paying me because you don't think I should trust him. What, are you _daft_? I need the money. I know who to depend on. You seriously think I should try and trust _Kai?_ How many times has he screwed _you_ over, Ray?"

Ray's mouth dropped, but no sound came out of his mouth. He didn't know what to say.

"Know this now, Ray," Trish drawled, "I'm not your playmate. I'm not your friend. I'm your enemy. My job is to bring you down. Don't trust me. You want to talk about dropping someone the first chance they can get? Voltaire should be scared of _me. _I work for me…and for _me alone_."

"I have no choice then. I'll tell whoever I can about you. I must. To warn them," Ray stuttered.

"Do what you want. What do I care?"

"You just did a few minutes ago."

"I changed my mind okay?" She shouted suddenly, "Bastard! Tell em all to go screw themselves, for all I care!"

Ray stared at her,

"I pity you."

"Save it for someone who cares. Oh, and Ray? Watch your back. I promise I won't mess up next time."

*~*~*

"All boarding for the ship to Amsterdam has begun. Please make your way through the ticket line single file. Have your passports out and ready to be checked. Only two suitcases are allowed per person and should pass the minimum weight. Rooms are posted on all sides of the entry ramp."  
"I hate boats," Will stated, narrowly surveying the people already on board the deck, "I hate people that like boats."  
"That's nice," Renlee replied absently, looking at a brochure.

"Nice bling-bling, man…" Tehran ran his fingers along the gold-framed entry ramp.

"Oh look!" Brittney pointed to one of the many sheets lining the walls as they made their way up, "There's us. We're in Room 256."

"No. We're in Room 257," Annelise pointed out another room with their names on it as well.

"We're in two separate rooms?" 

"They must only accommodate 2-3 people per room. I guess it makes sense to split us. We'll be next to each other, I suppose," Renlee shrugged, regarding the rooms with caution.

"There's so many sheets…I wonder who else is going to be on board?" Annelise wondered.

"All of the beybladers, that's for sure." Will stated in an obvious, "well, duh!" tone.

When they reached the top of the ramp and had their passports and luggage checked and taken away, they took a few steps down and finally set foot on the steer of the boat. David walked up behind them and pulled his sunglasses down as they pulled farther away from the pier. 

"I _like_ cruise ships…" Tehran continued to drool over their mode of transportation.

"Ugh…" Will pulled a face, "Don't worry about me. I'll be in my room for the next two days."

"And miss out on everything?" Brittney wondered.

"I've seen enough blue to last me a lifetime. I highly doubt I'd be missing anything anywhere else on board."

"Hmmm." Brittney shrugged, "Suit yourself."

"I think I will. Let's go find these rooms." Will led the way for a couple of minutes as they climbed the steps down into the ship. Then, when he realized that they were all following him like subordinates, he stopped and proceeded to let David and Renlee walk ahead.

"The cribs are nice…" Renlee entered 256 and set her stuff down. She laid down on the bed and sighed heavily, "_Oh_, this feels nice."

"I'm going to welcome our neighbors," Tehran said sarcastically and walked across to Room 255. He knocked loudly on the door and waited. A girl's face appeared at the door.

She had blue hair and amazingly bright green eyes, which widened instantly in recognition,

"Hey, I know you! You're the guy that tried to hit on me at that restaurant. What do you want?"

Tehran stared in disbelief, before finding his voice. He blushed,

"Sorry. I tend to do that a lot."

"What do I care?!" She brushed a hand through her ponytail, "I get it all the time. So, you made it this far in the competition? Impressive." Her voice, however, lacked interest and didn't hide well the disgust that she was actually seeing him.

"You're a beyblader?" Tehran asked cautiously.

"Of course! What, you thought I just liked the scenery of hanging out in a nasty restaurant like that? I was checking out the competition."

Tehran laughed chortingly,

"I'm glad our team is so renowned. My name is Tehran." He introduced formally, offering his hand. 

"Oh. All right," she looked a little unsure as to whether she should formally introduce herself, but finally receiving his protruding hand, 

"The names Miriam. I'm a member of the Saint Shields." Her face contorted into a pleasant smile, unlike the former scowl she had first greeted him with.

*~*~*

Trish appeared at the airport about the same time Ray did. She probably had seen him, but did not even chance a glance in his direction. Instead, she went to the information desk and began to order a short flight out of Austria. 

"Ray! Where did you go?" Tyson bounded upon the Chinese boy as soon as he appeared. Kai scowled,

"This better be good."

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't leave without _this_…" Ray held up Driger in his palm to show the others.

"You found it!" Max came up behind Tyson's shoulder, "That's great! Where was it?"

Ray hesitated. _Should he say anything?_ He looked around at his anxious teammate's faces and shook his head briefly._ I will tell them later._

"I just---I just heard…I heard from a little birdie that it was about to be shipped. So I went to the Post Office. I'm sorry. I thought maybe I could make it in time,…or I would have offered an explanation first for my urgent disappearance."

"I'll say!" Kenny exclaimed, "We were sick with worry that you might not make the flight!"

"But---" Ray looked up at the clock, "We _did_--_I did_ miss the flight. It left an hour ago!"

"We're taking another flight out in 20 minutes!" Max explained, "You see, we traded our tickets in for a later flight. We were getting worried you would miss this one as well."

"Isn't this wonderful?" Hilary clapped her hands together happily, "I told you we didn't have to worry at all."

"You didn't say that," Tyson's said through clenched teeth.

"I did too."

"Open." He scooped up some rice and thrust it right into her face.

"What?!" Hilary's face contorted with puzzlement. As she opened her mouth to speak, he thrust it into her mouth.

"Good?" He asked.

She nodded, a little pink. However, Tyson couldn't tell whether it was because he'd stuffed too much into her mouth or because of embarrassment.

"I think Tyson's lost it," Max laughed, watching their interaction.

She swallowed,

"What was _that _for?"

"I don't know. It's kind of fun…" Tyson grinned widely, "I'll play the mommy and you play the baby."

"Har--har…" Hilary rolled her eyes, "Like last time…you did a great job hurting the baby too, _mommy."_

"I am the dictator and you are the meek servant," Tyson smirked with laughter, "Bow down!"

Hilary smacked him in the back,

"Would you like to switch rules? _I'll_ be the dictator and _you_…will be my lunch."

"You know," Tyson frowned, now that his fun had been popped, "I also did it to shut you up."

"Now _that_ actually makes sense, no matter how officially offended I am," Hilary folded her arms primly.

"Did the Wild Cheetahs leave without Trish?" Kenny asked, noticing the lone captain buying a single ticket.

"Most likely," Ray looked away, "Don't worry. She'll find a way to get to Germany."

"Let's invite her to come up with us!" Max suggested, grinning, "It'll be fun!"

"Trish? Wanting to stay with us, the lowly Bladebreakers?" Kai questioned sarcastically.

"It's worth a try," Kenny shrugged, "You never know. She did come in with Ray. Did you get to talk with her, Ray?"

"Oh yes," Ray stiffed, "I talked with Trish."

Kai turned surprisingly and stared long and hard at Ray.

"Great! Let's go ask her, Max," Tyson stepped forward.

"_I_ don't think so. I don't think any of you are in a position to just go walking up to Trish and invite her to travel with us to Germany," Hilary placed her hands on her hips.

Tyson frowned,

"Well, what do you suggest we, as the good gentlemen that we are,---" Hilary snorted, "---do?"

Kai had still been watching Ray's quick reactions to each comment.

"What?" Ray asked, a little sharply.

"What did she say to you?" Kai stared at him, implying that she had confided information to Ray.

"It's none of your business," Ray said quietly.

"I don't think Trish is going to want to talk to any of you. She might, however, be willing to talk to me."

"What?! Why would she want to talk to you and not us?"

"Because, first of all, we're both girls and we understand each other a lot more, and second of all, she probably won't feel as threatened if I expect her to come with us. I'll just say I need the company."

"Trish feeling threatened?" Ray snorted, "Hilary, I think once you begin to talk to Trish, you will understand that Trish doesn't _feel_ threatened. _She_ threatens."

"Did Trish threaten you?" Mrs. Llewellyn frowned.

"No," Ray responded immediately, masking anything that had just happened, "I'm okay really. I---like Trish."

"That makes one of us," Kai rolled his eyes.

"Well, I kind of expected _that, "_ Hilary puffed, moving slowly away from the group, "Nothing beats rivalry like competition between opposing captains."

*~*~*

"We're in Room 258," Tala spotted his name.

"Great," Brian muttered, "I'm so ready for a little R&R."

"You better. Tonight we're practicing on deck," Ian reprimanded.

Spencer returned at that moment with their papers. They made their way through the corridors, where several students were already unpacking their belongings and passing between doors.

"Does something look strange to you?" Ian asked cautiously.

They were nearing Room 258. They could hear voices eminating from Room 255. A guy and a girl were talking. The girl was speaking,

"My teammates, Ozuma and Joseph are in Room 254. And Dunga is in 300."

The guy said something unintelligible, but the girl responded in her loud , booming voice,

"Of course I'm with Frankie! Don't you know? The BBA won't allow for co-ed teams to be rooming together, so it's been paired up, boy with boy and girl with girl. Which means some teams will be mixed."

"Wait a minute!?" the boy asked, "Does that mean that I'm in a room with Will?"

Another girl's voice spoke,

"I guess. But---who am I with? Brittney or Annelise?"

"There's a sheet down there with this part of the halls assignments. I remember that you were with Brittney, Renlee. And Annelise is with someone from another team. It starts with a T. I don't believe I've heard of her. Hold on…I'll show you."

"Gender paired rooms?" Spencer stopped in the middle of the hallway and flipped through a couple of pages. The two girls and boy talking ahead had not turned to see them standing there. Tala recognized them, though. Renlee and Tehran from the Superiors and another girl with blue hair that he did not recognize. She was the one talking so confidently. Spencer read furiously, 

"Hey, but I didn't see anything about genders being….Oh. Here it is…"

"Let me see…" Brian grabbed the sheet.

"Look! There's our assignments: Brian and Ian are in Room 259. And I'm with some guy called Dunga in Room 300. And Tala, you're with…_what?!_" Spencer grabbed the sheet once again from Brian, "You're with Annelise."

"_What?!" _Tala grabbed the little sticky attachment on the page that told the Demolition Boys their room assignments. Sure enough, there was his name, sparkly shining near Annelise's.

"Haha…." Spencer began to laugh briefly, "They thought _Tala_ was a _girls_ name."

Ian grinned,

"Ms. Tala…"

"Shut-up!" Tala snapped angrily, "I'm going to go find a member of the BBA. I'll be back…"

He turned around and disappeared quickly in the other direction.

*~*~*

__

Final Note: So the Saint Shields are introduced again. Truth be told, I kinda forgot about them. Not that I don't have a good reason to forget they're there. Blech. Finally saw the picture of Mistel! And NO, that is definitely not what Mobekai looks like. The skin, actually, is pretty close, but just about two shades lighter and his hair is only a couple of shades darker than that. His hair is brown. His eyes are like a shiny brown….like gold almost. Mobekai's hair hangs in front of his eyes, but it doesn't go past his nose---that kind of long. Not super long, like Rays. 

*~*~*

Lisa Oceans Potter: Tyson and Hilary's relationship is a lot like a mine field ^^ Obviously, I haven't gotten too far into romance, so I would definitely like specifics. I don't go into too much pre-meditated romance ideas because they turn up better-written spur of the moment. However, I do know, for sure, how Mariah and Ray will get together. And let's see, as for the Beta-Reader, I wouldn't mind doing it myself. I don't know anybody too personally here; you could just try asking around. Some people would rather beta-read than write. There used to be a place where beta-readers would sign up and readers could just pick and choose, but they took that down. FF.net kinda sucks now. 

HimitsuKokoro: *wide eyes* Geesh! I can't believe you went back and re-read the entire fic! "I" can't even do that in one sitting and I stinking wrote it! *Lmao* I'm going to cry from happiness….

Galux Kitty: If other people don't like your long name, don't worry about it! You can call yourself whatever the heck you want to! I haven't heard anything about MSN groups getting "forked" but I guess there's nothing wrong with being too safe. As for MediaMiner…well, I've been around there and it's not too bad looking. And as much as I know it's your choice, can I tell you something? I think you have made a fantastic reputation here at FF.N and I and many others will be especially sad to see you leave if you do. 

RayeBBG: The plot would be thickening. It kind of was. Now, I really just don't know where I'm headed. *sarcastically* No, but really, I have _high_ hopes for my fic. lol. So much confidence….I try.

ShadowedWinges: lmso. You sound so enthusiastic! To be honest, I have absolutely no idea how long this is going to last-----stick around as long as you can though! Awesome!

Ice Archer Girl: Well, it's illegal to do both stealing and blackmailing. But knowing how Ray is such a goody-goody and all, I figured…what the heck? He didn't turn Mobekai in before when he'd figured it out. I'm very pleased because you were the only one that suggested something! Kudos to Ice Archer Girl! BTW, I definitely agree with you on the connection thing. 

jeweljade: It's meant to throw you off for a while. If I reveal too much about Tai-Ken's relationship to Ray, I might as well blow the whole plot cover. I have some major ideas for Tyson/Hilary. They'll be the first to get together, besides the already paired Enrique/Alexandria. And I am SO happy that you agree with me on Ray/Mariah! 

:)(): Well, I have no idea who you are. T.T. But that's okay, because I'm really glad you like my story that much!

Tara: You remind me of me. In a very good way. You are the person that made me decide to really start finishing up this chapter. I was just putting it off for a while. And then I got your reviews! You're so sweet! Thanks! Hehe…I never answered your question: Hilary and Tyson will be paired up at….^^ read on to find out! Bwahahaha~!


	26. Heart to Heart

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Cool Quote: 

"Boys are like parking lots…all the hott ones aren't available."

-anonymous

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A/N: Why are my chapters suddenly becoming so long? I swear I'm trying not to. 16 pages! Whew! So far, this has now become one of my favorite chapters. I finished typing this the same day I updated 25. I was just giving some time for reviews. I'm working on Chapter 27 right now. I imagine it should be done by next weekend. 

__

Italics are thoughts.

****

WATCH THIS!

Chapter 26: Heart to Heart

*~*~*

"Ah! Here it is!" Miriam pulled the Room Assignment sheet out of the slip-through folder out of which it was hanging on the wall, "See? Room 253-those are Frankie's team members, Room 254-Ozuma and Joseph, Room 255-Me and Frankie, Room 256-Tehran and Will, Room 257-Brittney and Renlee, Room 300-Dunga's in there with Spencer, Room 259-Brian and Ian…."

Renlee started,

"I know those names! Those are the Demolition Boys! Yuck!"

"Oh! Look! Here you are Annelise! You're in Room 258, right next to Renlee, with Tala. I've never heard of her though."

Annelise gasped,

"Tala?! I can't be with Tala!"

"I don't think you have a choice."

"But----but _Tala_ is…"

"Miriam!"

Miriam's head jerked around. A small guy with blond hair was poking his head out of Room 254,

"What do you think you're doing with the Superiors?"

"I'm just helping them, Joseph. Give me a break. We're not in the stadium."

"Not yet, at least," Ozuma stepped out of the room, "Since when have you become miss social?"

"I---" Miriam paused and looked around at Tehran and Will, who had leaned curiously out of Room 256, "I--I haven't."

She walked very confidently over to their room, but before she entered, she turned around and pulled a face,

"Sorry. Rules are rules, you know. I can't help you anymore."

"But---" Annelise took a step forward, "But…Tala's a guy! I can't share rooms with him! Even if it's for two days!"

Miriam raised her eyebrows,

"Really? What are you so upset about then? I'd be dang happy if that were the situation."

"Miriam." Tehran tried gently to explain, "Annelise has the highest set of standard morals you will ever see in a girl. She gets upset at the sight of meat being torn apart."

"It's not that!" Annelise defended, "It's just that Tala's a…" 

"Slimeball," Renlee let the anger roll off her tongue.

Miriam shrugged,

"Take it up with the BBA. They can switch your rooms…Bye!" She disappeared into the room. Ozuma frowned and shut the door behind him.

Another small petite girl with purple hair appeared in the frame of Room 255.

"Are you Frankie?" Tehran asked her through their open doorway. He was seated on a soft cushion, his head resting against the frame of the only chair in their room.

She looked a little surprised,

"Why, yes I am. And you are?"

"Tehran. I'm a member of the Superiors."

"Ah. That's right. The new team."

"We're good," Brittney stated very firmly.

"Hmm." Frankie walked off down the hallway. She bumped into two guys coming in the opposite direction, "_Excuse me_! Move!"

"Go stuff yourself, toots," one of the guys remarked very rudely. Brittney recognized the voice immediately. It was Ian.

"Looks like the Demolition Boys have arrived."

*~*~*

Tala ventured further down into the boat until he had reached the main floor. In the center of the cruise boat was a vast marble like structure that looked something like the inside of a mall…only, with several floors. In the center was an elevator and along the edge of the wide marble circle were several brand name stores/casinos. Several people were already trafficking in this area, as the main restaurant was only on the floor below. A beautiful spiral staircase to his left led into that area. 

'Tala!"

He spun around and saw the beaming face of Mr. Dickinson as he walked jovially toward him, "What can I do for you?"

"The BBA board messed up our rooms. I demand to have another room." Tala answered coldly.

"Hmmm," Mr. Dickinson stroked his chin thoughtfully, "How could we have messed up the rooms? I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

"There better be. Not only am I with someone from another team, I'm paired up with a girl and not a boy."

Mr. Dickinson laughed.

Tala scowled.

"I apologize, Mr. Valkov. I just find it amusing that we passed you over for a girl. I'm afraid," Mr. Dickinson took on a more thoughtful look, "That we are full to the brim. I cannot move you to another location without messing up previous room assignments."

"What?!" 

"I do trust that you will not overstep any moral boundaries. The cruise is only two days. And I'm sure you are near your own fellow teammates?"

"Yes…"

"Well then! No need to worry! See? Have a good afternoon!" Mr. Dickinson headed down the dinner stairs and turned to wave once he'd reached the bottom.

Tala glowered and turned back once again to go find his inevitably assigned room.

*~*~*

Trish crossed her exposed legs and leaned back in the uncomfortable airline seats. Another fifteen minutes till boarding…._Thank the lord_. 

The Bladebreakers had seated themselves a short distance away, sprawled out over the airport floor and laughing among themselves. She pulled her buckle skirt further down her thighs and closed her eyes.

__

So what if Ray knew? It's not like there was anything she could do to prevent it. It was all _Mobekai's_ fault for trying to be a suck-up. As long as he didn't know _why_ she kept in contact with Boris and Voltaire…everything would be all right. She trembled. _Voltaire would be pissed. And Tai-Ken would be pissed. Majorly…_

Out of all people to figure it out first…Ray was not at the top of her list. He was extremely smart. Another dread-seizing thought struck her mind. _What if Ray told _Kai_?_

Kai _could not_ figure it out. He mustn't hear _anything._ If Ray told Kai…Kai was smart. He would figure it out quickly. He would stay away from Trish or he would confront her…her whole cover would be blown. 

"Damn you, Ra--"

"Excuse me?!"

Trish opened her eyes and looked up, unable to finish her previous thoughts. Hilary, the new girl that was always hanging around the Bladebreakers, was leaning over her, smiling quite obnoxiously…and _very_ fakely,

"Hi! You remember me right?" Hilary obligingly took a seat next to her.

"Yes." Said Trish, quite annoyed that she was speaking to this girl.

"Where's your team?" Hilary asked, a little too sweetly as an adult might ask a child.

Trish raised an eyebrow and looked at her with wide eyes,

"I'm not five, you know…"

"Oh," Hilary spoke normally, "Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. The Bladebreakers are neat and all…but I never get to speak much to girls that like beyblading so I thought, seeing you weren't surrounded by the rest of your team, I might strike up a conversation."

Trish nodded, but didn't answer, so Hilary continued, now a little shakily,

"Well, since you're going alone, I was just wondering…do you want to sit near us?"

Trish held up her tickets,

"Seat assignment. Besides, it's only a two hour trip. Trust me, I'm a big girl," she patted Hilary's cheeks in a condescending manner, "Thanks anyway though."

Hilary could not hide her astonishment. Her mouth dropped,

"Why are you so mean?"

"Why are you so nice?" Trish shot back, "I'm just me, okay? Besides, do you _really_ want to scary ol' me?"

"You're not that scary," Hilary folded her arms, "You're just all talk."

"C'mon. You seriously don't believe _that_." Trish turned in her seat so that she could face Hilary. 

Hilary stared at her for a few moments and then resolutely shook her head,

"No. I mean it. If you want people to think you're scary, go ahead. You'll lose associates that genuinely want to be your friend."

"I have friends. I wouldn't be on a team if I didn't. You're just mad cause it's not you," Trish ticked.

"You sure don't act like a friend to your teammates. You act like a cold captain."

"That's what I am, isn't it?" Trish faced forward in her seat again. 

"There's a difference," Hilary said quietly.

"Are you done already?" Trish asked, closing her eyes.

"No."

Trish felt the seat near her sink in and she opened her eyes in surprise. Hilary leaned back and looked up at the ceiling,

"You know what? I think I'll stay here and talk to you. It's not like I have anything else to do over there."

Trish stared at her closed eyes for a moment in astonishment and then leaned back in her own seat. _So she was going to play the devils advocate, eh?_

"Fine. Stay. Talk. I won't respond."

"Ah," Hilary opened her eyes and bore a triumphant smile, "….but see you just did. And I never asked you a question."

Trish again gaped. Then she smirked,

"You think you're so good, huh?"

"That's what I am," Hilary smirked back, "You watch. I can be just as stubborn as you if I want to."

*~*~*

"Next time, do you want to sit with my team? I'm just…" Mobekai looked over at Lee's glowering face, "…uncomfortable over here."

"Ummm…what if I'd rather not? It's just that having you on a team with a bunch of girls, and then me being there…" Mariah stumbled with her words.

"You're the only girl on a team full of guys. How am I also not supposed to worry?"

"One of them is my brother, you know. I doubt you're related to Colby, Danika, or Kira. Or even Trish, to say the least."

"I trust you, though."

"And I trust you."

"Then why are you concerned about sitting with them? You could even chat up and make friends--"

Mariah laughed harshly,

"Mobekai, just because I'm your girlfriend, does not mean I'm going to make friends with girls from an opposing team."

She saw Mobekai's face fall and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The plane hit some rough air and they jumped in their seats. 

"Look, Mobekai. It's not that I'm not trying. It's just that…we're opposing members of competing teams trying to have a relationship. How is this going to work?"

"Well, I don't know. We try…" He kissed her, "And then see where it goes from there."

He removed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her ear. He moved down and kissed her neck next. She could feel a chill go up her spine, but pushed him away slightly,

"Not _here…_"

"Why not?"

"Because---we're with all our friends."

Mariah looked behind his shoulder. Mobekai turned around and saw Gary, Kevin, and Lee watching them with disgust. 

Mobekai sighed and turned around,

"Look, if I'm a problem to your _friends,_ I can always remove myself to my own team."

"No! No, I'm sorry!" She kissed him softly on the lips.

"How about we get separate seats next time?" He asked quietly in her ear, "That way, we won't have to worry about whose team we should sit with."

"That sounds like a good idea." She smiled back.

"Excuse me."

Mobekai turned around and saw Lee trying to get through. Mobekai pulled a face of surprise and Lee explained, quite calmly,

"I have to go to the bathroom."

Mobekai pulled his feet in and so did Mariah. However, Lee brushed very recklessly against Mobekai's seat. Lee turned around and eyed Mobekai warningly as he headed down the aisle. Mobekai silently scowled and released his hands from around Mariah's waist. Mariah looked at him strangely,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Lee made his way down the steep, narrow airplane aisle. Only two people could fit very tightly in the space allotted between the two restrooms and both were in use, so Lee leaned against the corner of the wall, his back sticking into the jutting corner. He didn't have anything personal against Mobekai. He was a good person…when he wasn't fondling his sister. That made Lee mad.

The door to the bathroom opened finally and Colby happened to step out. She walked right up to him as if waiting for him to move. She veered first to the right, as to avoid him all together. However, he had moved there to get out of her way. Then she veered once more to the left, but he had moved back to his original position once he saw her intentions. So he moved back to the right, but she had decided to go that way as well. Then both of them stepped together back to the left.

"Are you going to move?" she asked finally, a little furious.

"I'm _trying_ to," he snapped back.

He went around her on the right side and closed the door behind him. She sat down in her seat and sighed. 

Behind them, Emily was flipping through the kosher magazine available in the seat pocket.

Michael started laughing under his breath next to her. Emily put down her magazine and stared at him,

"What's wrong with you?"

"Look."

"Look…at what?" Emily still didn't get it.

Michael sighed and turned her head so that she could see Mobekai and Mariah, heads locked closely together in an intimate conversation, trying to get away from the blatant stares of Kevin and Gary.

Emily's eyes widened,

"That's not funny. That's sad. I wonder if they'll ever have any privacy."

"They're the most unlikely couple I've ever seen in my life."

"Uh?" Emily turned. Michael had his mitt on and leaned back in his seat, throwing his baseball up only a few feet and expertly catching it squarely in his glove.

"Well, I always figured Mariah and Ray belonged together. I mean, Mariah and Mobekai look _cute_ together and all. But…they're just not the same people. Mobekai-well, you know how sweet and pleasing Mobekai usually wants to be----and then there's fierce and 

competitive Mariah."

"Mobekai's just like Ray, though."

"Not really…I don't know. It's just something about the chemistry. I think it's just cause Ray and Mariah have known each other for so long…they have that bond. And Mobekai---he fought so hard to get Mariah. He may love her now…but sooner or later another girl is going to come along that he's going to love even more. And she'll be the right person for Mobekai."

Emily leaned against her seat and sighed,

"I think it's nice that she has that relationship. Even if you don't think it will last for very long."

^*CrAsH!*^

Emily jerked forward and turned around. Michael had curved the ball too far. It was sitting in the seat of the man behind them. From the structure of his face, he had just been hit in the forehead…and he was not happy. Emily turned back to Michael and stared.

Michael slouched very consciously down into his seat, turning red with embarrassment.

*~*~*

"Boarding for the 9:45 plane has begun. All rows 20 and up please have your I.D's out with your tickets. Thank you." The freckled, red-haired patron began to scan electronic and manual tickets under the exit doorway.

"Your friends are heading for the gate," Trish noted as the Bladebreakers headed for the patron.

"So?" Hilary asked as Tyson and Kenny tried to wave her over. Very annoyingly, she waved a hand at them. Kenny sighed and turned around. Tyson stared and shrugged slowly, a little confused, before also turning around.

Trish laughed. _She had to admit by now that she really had a fancy liking for Hilary._

"What?" Hilary asked.

"You've got spunk. All right, I'll sit with you on the plane and talk to you. You've kept my interest for this long."

Hilary's face broke into a wild smile,

"Great! That's awesome, Trish!"

"But I'm still not going to sit with the others!"

"Oh….well, I don't have enough money to change seats," Hilary began, "And I'm supposed to sit next to Tyson."

Trish rolled her eyes,

"Fine. But I'm only talking to you, got it?"

"Sure! Oh, Kenny might talk to you. But you shouldn't have to worry about him. He's just a friend. He doesn't scare anyone…well, except for Dizzi…" Hilary went on.

"You know, for someone that was content to just sit there and be a nuisance, you can't ever shut---"

"I'll stop! I'm sorry!" Hilary covered her mouth and apologized.

Trish smiled,

"Chill. I'm joking. Go ahead and babble if you want."

They walked up to the patron and handed in their tickets,

"Can I switch seats?" Trish asked tentatively.

"You'll have to ask the person in that seat once you get on the plane. It's no longer up to the airline at this point. The tickets cannot be changed," the red-haired patron scanned the ticket, broke off the end and handed the little piece to Trish.

The Bladebreakers were waiting at the end of the ramp. Trish was very nervous. She had always either been by herself or with her team. And it wasn't like she hadn't been _very_ hostile this morning to Ray. And there was also the fact that she and Kai had a dangerous grudge against each other. 

On the way in, Hilary whispered very softly, yet firmly into Tyson's ear,

"I told you. Don't say anything to provoke her."

He pulled back and looked at her face with a weird expression before relaying the information to Max, Ray, and Kai once they had taken their spots. Trish sat in the aisle next to Hilary and Tyson. Kai sat across from her, Kenny in between with Dizzi and at the very end of the middle row, Ray had seated himself. Trish was glad. Another brief confrontation with Ray would put her over the edge.

Hilary talked with Tyson for just a short time while the plane loaded. It wasn't a normal conversation like most people had. They were teasing each other about the space they were giving each other.

"Can I have your pillow?" 

"Could you move your hand?"

"Why? So you can stick you fat head there?"

"No! So I can pummel it into your stomach later!"

"Well, what if I put my feet _here?! _There! Now you can't even move!" 

"TYSON!"

"Ma'am?"

Tyson jumped and covered his face with his hands,

"I swear I didn't make her scream! Honestly! Don't put me in the cockpit!"

Trish rolled her eyes. Hilary hit him in the stomach with her elbow.

"Er---" the woman with curly black hair stopped with frowning eyes and without addressing this weird boy, turned to Trish, "Excuse me, but you seem to be sitting in my seat…Do you also have----?"

"No. I'm supposed to sit in 25C."

"Can she please stay here?" Hilary asked, "We're a group, you know, and we don't want to be separated!"

"Where are your parents?" The woman looked around.

"In Germany. That's why we have to stick together!" Tyson leaned over Hilary and grinned cheekily.

"_Nice…_" Hilary hissed sarcastically in his ear.

"Is that a window seat?" The woman asked interestingly.

"25C? Yes." Trish replied, "Are you interested?"

"That sounds fine by me. I'm not traveling with anyone anyway."

"Thank you." Trish nodded.

The woman disappeared.

"Hey Hilary?" Tyson asked, "When is that lady going to get up and show us where the exit signs are?"

"Tyson!" Hilary turned to him, about to explain how to read, when she noticed the big grin on his face. 

She lightly smacked him in the face and grumbled, "You're a dork."

"Thanks!" Tyson laughed and pulled out the magazine provided in the seat pocket. He was still flipping through it when the plane started to move. Only during take-off did he set it down to look out the window. Hilary occasionally asked Trish a question and Trish obligingly answered throughout the remainder of the trip. However, Hilary soon began to take up her conquest again to annoy Tyson. Up high in the rays of the morning sun, Trish could feel the warm, comforting blanket wash over her and eventually fell asleep for about an hour and a half.

It was the high-pitched close sound of the seat belt sign being turned on that woke Trish up. Her eyes opened wide. The rest of her body remained quite still. She turned first to see what Hilary and Tyson were doing. Tyson was curled up against the window and snoring very loudly. Hilary was lying against her tray table, her face turned away from Trish. Trish twisted her head again and first noticed Kenny slumped against Dizzi, who was emitting strange signals, which, Trish supposed, was the computer's form of silent snores. Ray was not in his seat. Trish supposed he must've gotten up to go to the bathroom. Nearest to her, Kai was sitting against his chair, which was slightly reclined. He'd been staring forward but turned to face her when he saw her move out of the corner of his eye. 

Rebelliously, Trish looked down quickly and slowly crossed her arms. Her elbows cracked as she did so and she flinched. 

"Would you like a drink?" Kai asked.

"What?" Trish snapped her head back around to look at him.

"A drink?" He held up a glass of red wine, "You were asleep."

"Yes." she reached forward to grab it, but retracted her hand quickly, "Don't they cost money?"

"Sure. I don't care." Kai shrugged indifferently.

She took it from his outstretched hand uncertainly,

"You haven't poisoned it, have you?"

"If I wanted to poison you, you'd have been dead by now," he replied quietly.

He took a sip of his own drink, which was green tea. 

Trish took a sip and enjoyed the feel of the liquid going through her throat,

"Thank you."

He didn't respond; just kept watching her and drinking.

"I wasn't snoring, was I?" Trish suddenly remembered, a little embarrassedly.

"If you were, I couldn't tell….what with that dolt over there waking the dead." Kai jerked his head over at Tyson. Ray took his seat at the other end of the airline, but he crossed his arms, leaned back, and pretended that Trish wasn't even there. She could, however, see the surprise in his face that she was talking very civilly with Kai. 

"Why did you buy me a drink? What if I hadn't wanted it?"

"I would have saved it for Kenny or drunken it myself."

"Hmph," she said vigorously, "And you just felt like doing this for me?"

"I'm being good," he took a rather large gulp out of his drink, "You wanted that right?"

"What?!" She had temporarily forgotten her brief brush with him at Mariah's party.

"_You_ wanted me to be good for once so that you actually looked a little more threatening. So…that's what I'm doing for today. It's my good deed to humanity," he ended a little sarcastically.

Trish did not know what expression was showing on her face. She supposed it must've mingled shock, surprise, slight interest, compassion, happiness, and guilt. She finished the rest of the red wine quickly, sipping long and hard.

Then, after blinking a couple of times to get rid of her cold head rush, she said,

"Do you hate me, Kai?"

Kai didn't answer for a few minutes. She then did something that she immediately wished she had never said. Under a normal conversation would she have, in no wise, offered an apology. Somehow, though, it was the first thing that came to her mind while she was talking him,

"I know I don't treat you nice sometimes….."

__

Dumb. Dumb! She scolded herself inside. _How could she feel and look so weak? _And Ray! Why did she suddenly feel so bad for being such a bitch to _him_?

"---no." Kai finished saying something she hadn't heard.

"What?" She asked.

"I said I don't hate you."

*SMaCk*

"Tyson!" Hilary screeched suddenly as Tyson's hand has come flying in his sleep and smacked her in the head. Her head pulled up suddenly and Tyson jolted. Kenny looked up groggily,

"Huh? What's going on?"

Kai broke eye-contact with Trish to look at him. Trish also turned to enjoy Tyson and Hilary harassing each other.

Remembering that she was a visitor in their company as they began the descent down into Germany, she remembered that even though she had civilly talked to Kai, she still had a very uneasy relationship with Ray now. She turned back instinctively and saw Ray watching her with slightly narrowed eyes. She turned away in shame. She was doing her job by trying to protect her secret as much as possible….but she had had no right to threaten him. 

Her job and her friends had to stay as far away as possible, and if there was the chance that they might interfere…she had to choose.

*~*~*

Tala descended upon the group gathering outside Rooms 254-259. Spencer, Brian and Ian were having a nasty reunion with the Superiors, who had all gathered outside the door to support their teammates. 

"--have none, if any contact with you…" Renlee was saying.

"Why would we _want_ to have any contact with you?" Ian sneered.

"Because we have class," Will replied, quite calmly and quite crisply.

"What class?" Spencer broke off when he saw Tala approaching, "What's up?"

Tala hefted his bag off the floor and lifted an eyebrow when he noticed everyone staring at him,

"What?"

"You got the room changed? _Right!?"_ Ian demanded.

Tala's stepped backward and without redirecting his gaze, threw his stuff into Room 258 by way of response.

"How could they _not--?_" Annelise stepped forward with worry. 

Tala turned and stared very hard at her. She paused uncertainly, put off by his directness.

"How could they not…what?" He asked, again, trailing off.

She jerked back in surprise.

"She was just asking a simple question," Tehran spoke very quietly, "You should have no quarrel with Annelise."

"You're right," Tala stood very casually next to Ian, "I never said I did."

"You got mad at her," Will reiterated.

Tala raised an eyebrow,

"Did I now? I simply repeated what she was saying."

"But--"

"Tehran!" Annelise said quickly, "I don't care. It's all right."

Tala again turned to stare at her. She tried very hard not to look back, but it was proving very difficult. 

Tehran retreated back into his room and Will followed, obligingly. He looked very annoyed about the pompous freaks that had so casually established domain. Spencer went off down the corridor to find Room 300, which was a long way off. Ian and Brian stayed behind, as well as Renlee and Brittney. For a while, they held locked in the position, eyes never flinching as if staring forever meant domination. Annelise stared at all four of them uncertainly, while Tala, without any expression at all, just walked into the room he'd just thrown his bags in. 

Brittney suddenly yawned,

"All right. Well, I've had enough of looking at Brutus over here. Let's go get something to eat, Renlee."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement that spoke of demand and urgency. Renlee finally followed Brittney back down the corridor. 

Ian and Brian retreated to their room. As they passed Annelise, though, they pretended she wasn't even there. She could hear them talking about scum as they unpacked in their room. 

Annelise swirled on the spot and stared at the open door to Room 258. She knocked on Tehran's door. Will opened it and she invited herself in to get her stuff. 

"Are you okay?" Tehran asked, "I'll go over there for you and you can stay here with Will. The BBA won't care."

"No," Annelise let out a deep sigh, "I…I'm not really that upset. Tala won't be that awful. And it's just two days. Really. You didn't need to make such a big scene of it out there."

"We just want to protect you. That's all," Tehran replied, indifferently, shrugging his shoulders, "You can come over here anytime you want."

"Except when we're sleeping," Will added seriously, "Then you go wake up Brittney and Renlee."

Annelise laughed, 

"I'll see you guys soon for dinner."

She knocked first on the door to Room 258.

"It's open, you know," Tala called back, "That probably means you can come in."

Annelise walked down the short hallway and entered the main room. There were two queen beds, a desk with a lamp in the middle, a table in the farthest corner and a T.V. opposite the beds. It looked like a little hotel room. _Nice._

Her chest constricted when she saw Tala laying on the bed farthest from the door. She pulled her luggage next to her bed and sat down on the bed, a little confused as to what to do next. He turned his head and frowned,

"Are you just going to sit there like that?" 

"Maybe. I have nothing else to do."

Tala gave a small "Hmph" and turned back to facing the ceiling. 

"What are you thinking about?" Annelise asked, a little curious.

……..

"You don't want me to talk to you, I bet," Annelise lay back on her own bed and sighed, "No problem. I'll just…do what you do."

Tala laughed gutturally and she turned surprisingly,

"You don't want to think. Go out and do whatever you like."

"But---I _don't_ have anything else to do," she replied surprisingly, "Really. And if you don't want to talk…"

"We're talking now," his smile disappeared.

…….

Annelise got off the bed and started opening all of the chests and drawers in the room.

Tala lifted his head off the bed and watched her,

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's something I can do."

"If you're that bored, turn on the T.V."

"Not interested."

"Go downstairs and play games."

"No one to play with."

"Good grief! Do you always have to have someone do something with you?" Tala sat up and leaned against the headboard.

She turned,

"It's very hard to do anything alone. You always need a companion."

"I've managed very well without." Tala raised an eyebrow.

"You have your friends."

"They're teammates. And they don't expect to depend on me either. We fend for ourselves. We just hang out when it's convenient."

"When it's convenient…" Annelise frowned, "How long have you known them?"

"Since I was ten."

"And before that?"

……..

Annelise didn't expect him to say anything. He wouldn't remember. Of course not.

She removed herself from the main room and ventured to the bathroom, where she looked at the provincials that were provided free. Tala muttered something and she poked her head out and asked,

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"You're scared of me, aren't you?"

She stared into his blue eyes,

"No. I'm not. Why would you think that?"

"You're nervous. I can tell."

………..

"Do you want to know what I was thinking?"

"---I don't rightly care, I suppose," Annelise said stiffly, turning off the bathroom light and sitting at the edge of her bed. She withdrew a book and began to read.

"Do you like reading?" She asked him as she found her bookmark.

"No. I hate it."

"But--you used to…"

Tala looked up with inquiring eyes.

"Nothing." Annelise said quickly, "Sorry. I---I think I'm going to go for a walk."

"You didn't even start reading," he pointed out blandly.

"I can't concentrate when you're around, Tala."

"Then _I'll _go," Tala jumped off the bed and sulked on his way to the door, "It's not like I'm doing anything in here either anyway."

"I didn't mean anything rude by that comment," Annelise's eyes clouded over.

"I've heard worse," he muttered gruffly, pulling his shoes on, "If you want someone to hang around with, why don't you go over and visit your little friends?"

"Because I don't want to be a nuisance."

"And yet you are to me."

"How am _I_ a nuisance? _You_ were the one that ran into me to begin with."

"What?!" Tala asked furiously.

"When we first met! You wouldn't apologize! You were so rude!"

"Have you _not _noticed that I'm like that all the time?"

"You can be good though!"

"What?! Why bother? Why bother, Lise?"

"What!?" Annelise's eyes widened, "What did you just say?"

"I asked why I should bother?!" Tala said.

"No! What did you just call me?"

"Annelise."

"No! You called me Lise!"

"I did no such thing. You're just hearing things. Why don't you go take that walk of yours? Alone." He turned back to stare at the ceiling.

"No! Don't you dare turn away like you always do?"

"Always?" Tala sat up, "My, aren't we jumping to conclusions!"

"You were just telling me you liked being rude all the time?"

"I _am_ rude all the time! It might be that maybe I don't _try_ to be rude! I just come off that way!"

"We're getting off topic! I asked you why you called me Lise?!"

"Why is it such a big deal?"

"Because it is! You know it is!"

"No, I don't!" Tala demanded, "Please, enlighten me!?"

"I know what I heard! You called me Lise, Tal!" She began to raise her voice in desperation, "Say it!"

Tala flinched at his very old nickname, but replied throatily,

"Lise! Okay! I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't lie!" Her voice cracked, "Where did you hear that from? Did you hear Renlee or Brittney say it? Or Tehran?"

"What?!" Tala's look turned from guilty to extremely baffled, "They've never called you Lise. No one has. Unless…"

"Exactly!" Annelise grabbed the edge of her pillow, suddenly very angry, "No one knew that nickname but you, you turd! Only _you_ called me that Tala! Bloody---"

"Don't swear!" Tala raised his voice and warned very threateningly, "That's not like you."

"And suddenly you know me so well? I'll swear if I damn well want to! I can't believe you lied to me! Jerk!" She threw the pillow she was holding very roughly at him. He lifted his arm in self-defense, but stayed silent, "I can't believe you _remembered! _You had _some nerve_ not saying anything about it either…ARGH!" 

She lifted her arms. Spinning around, she paced back and forth parallel to the wall, both furious and nervously twitting. She stopped and turned to face him. He met her with unflinching eyes and she started again.

"You _knew?_ You bloody well remember _everything_, don't you?!" Annelise was furious. She began to string a whole sentence of Russian together, "Yebat'-Kopat' Dolboyob! Ti Durak! Ti menia dostal Zjulik!"

"Nu ti dajosh! Ogrysat'sya!" Tala yelled back in perfect Russian.

"Zacroy rot! Mne nasrat', chto ty dumaesh' Poshlaja svenja! Ischenzni!" Annelise's face turned red. Steady tears began rolling down her cheek. 

It was deathly quiet outside the room. She turned away and stealthily faced the wall, determined not to let him see her so upset.

Silence filled the room for a few minutes. Tala broke it quietly,

"Ya ne panim Ayuvas, Annelisha. Prostetye. Pa-vEr' mne."

Annelise did'nt move at all. She pulled her legs up onto the bed and rested her chin on her knees. She could feel Tala watching her and said quietly,

"I'm okay now."

"I'm not a bad person, Annelise. Vrubatsa? How was it possible for me to forget you? I'm just not the same person you remember."

"I remember an arrogant little brat that only cared for power. You accomplished what you wanted to do," Annelise spat out spitefully, "You're a world champion beyblader…"

Tala did not say anything to this. Annelise turned around to face him and continued,

"Why didn't you write? How come you didn't say anything when we first met?"

"I------If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. I wasn't allowed to."

"You didn't!" she raised her voice a little bit, "You forgot! I wasn't important! At least, not then I wasn't!" 

"You _were_ important to me!" Tala defended.

"Not as important as your blading!" Annelise shot back.

Tala didn't answer. Annelise ticked at his silence and marched angrily into the bathroom, where she locked herself inside.

"You can't keep yourself in there for two days!" Tala called.

"Just watch me!" Annelise shouted back.

*~*~*

Renlee made her way on deck just as the boat began to pull away from port. Already, there was a crowd gathering toward the aft. But it was not to say goodbye to loved ones on shore. It was a huge circle of curious spectators. The familiar hum of two small disks wasn't hard to miss. Renlee pushed her way through the crowd roughly until she could manage to see the commotion. A small boy with an angry glare and a very confident, pompous guy with purple hair and no fashion sense were involved in a beyblade battle. Renlee gasped. This guy with the purple hair was ripping apart this boy's beyblade without mercy. 

"Robert, stop picking on the kid. Let's go find someone worth your effort," another kid with red hair lazily watched from a bench. He was turned sideways, with his leg up on the bench and he was resting his arm on his knee. Two other kids stood nearby with their arms crossed. One had olive green hair and the other had blond hair. Both were laughing at the kid that was trying so hard to win this battle.

"If only the Bladebreakers were here," the kid with the olive green hair commented, "Then we could take on some real competition."

Her heart pounding with blind anger, Renlee stepped forward,

"I demand that you stop this right now! It's completely unfair! For a good Beyblader to challenge someone with no skills in the area….how could you?!"

"And you have skills?" The boy with the purple hair raised an eyebrow, "Look, if we wanted to take someone on, we would have challenged the Demolition Boys….but certainly not you."

"Then why haven't you challenged the Demolition Boys?" Renlee shot back.

"Because we've already asked. And we have a mutual agreement to face each other in the finals."

"Who says you're going to the finals? And why haven't you heard of _my_ team?" Renlee held up her blade, revealing her magnificent panda, "How about it?"

He laughed,

"Haven't you heard of us? My name is Robert. And I'm a member of the Majestics. We're the best team in Europe. The Bladebreakers are the best in Eastern Asia, the Demolition Boys control Russia, the All-Stars rule the Americas and the White Tigers rule China."

She stared at him and he continued,

"You still want to battle me?"

"My name is Renlee. I'm a member of the Superiors. And as far as I'm concerned, we rule Great Britain."

"This should be interesting then…" Robert held up his hand and his blade flew into his hand. The boy crouched on his knees and cowered at his torn beyblade.

"I win and you buy this boy a very decent beyblade," Renlee challenged.

"And if I win?" Robert asked cockily, "You buy _me_ another decent beyblade…and you forfeit the tournament."

"Deal!"

Robert raised his beyblade,

"On the count of three then?"

Renlee raised her beyblade.

The crowd parted farther into a perfect circle.

"3…2…1….Let it Rip!" Renlee pulled her rip chord, fast, hard, and determined.

*~*~*

****

Final Note: 

The above translations for Tala/Annelise's Russian Conversation are as follows: 

"Damnit, you stupid man! You're a moron! I've had enough of you, (cheater, someone who rips someone off)! 

"(exclamation of amazement at someone's courage or actions)! (rude remark)!"

"Shut-up! I don't care what you think, chauvinistic pig! Get lost!"

" I don't understand you at all, Annelise. I'm really sorry. Believe me."

Vrubatsa-Understand?

I couldn't find anything else in Russian. It's a hard language. 

*~*~*

__

Thanks to the following reviewers:

HimitsuKokoro: Yeah, I do that too. I usually have to go back on really long fics that take forever to update. And look! I updated fast! You should've seen me typing this…I was like a speed demon. Haha. ;) Cheese!

Lisa Oceans Potter: Oh, you're so sweet. Ray/Mariah's moment is coming soon. I kind of hinted at that in this chapter. Mobekai's significant other has been in this fic for a long time already. You'll hit yourself over the head for not figuring it out when I finally reveal it to you…so you needn't worry. Mobekai'll be very happy. As for Tyson/Hilary…yeah, it's actually coming together a lot more nicely than I'd hoped. Haha-that's very funny that you thought I was busy. I am…sorta. But not busy enough. Did you get my e-mail? And hey! I just noticed-you're the same age as me! 18!

Ice Archer Girl: Really? That was the only part in the chapter that I was kind of if-fy about. I'm glad it met your expectations. I have no doubt you have the most expertise on the Majestics. And Annelise is my little cousin's name. I thought it was very pretty so I had to have it somewhere.

Hikari-Tenshi: haha. A fight to the death would be cool,…but not likely to happen. Trish is working for B. more so because she wants to. She's just getting paid to do it as well. She's got this dark/light mixture and I let each side show at times. Mobekai's got the same mixture. He's got a good heart with bad intentions. ^^ As for Ray/Mariah, well, you'll just have to wait. Sorry. There's not much going on at this moment.

Cool and Wise Libra: Thank you so much! And good luck on your one-shot! I'll be sure to leave you a review as soon as it's up. ;)


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